Rebirth
by Anriko
Summary: There's a girl from our world unexpectedly dropped into this one - and she has a former madman living inside her... but there's something far more sinister going on elsewhere.
1. Prologue

She sat up and groaned under her breath as she realized that she was indeed back in the hut at the bottom of the mountain. The man who lived there shook his head. "You know, if you keep going like this, you most likely will freeze to death before you reach the top."

"I don't care," the girl said, stretching. "I have to get up there. There's something I need."

"Like that?" He gestured at her dark jeans and t-shirt. "Barefoot?"

"It wasn't MY fault I got called out of bed in the middle of the night and forgot my shoes," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "Where's my glasses?"

"If I said I didn't find them, would that keep you from going?"

"No," she answered.

"On the table beside you," he said, sighing and leaving the room. The girl grabbed the silver frames and set them on her nose, blinking as the world came back into focus. She threw the covers aside and stretched, then slid off the bed and started doing more stretches. She blinked and pushed her hair out of her face as he reentered the room, holding a bundle in his hands. "I still think you're crazy," he said, setting down the bundle and digging in it. "But if you're so intent on going, I can at least make sure you don't freeze as fast. Put these on." He handed her a pair of boots and thick socks.

The girl blinked and sat down on the bed to put on the socks, then the boots. The man handed her a long and thick gray coat and watched her button it, then passed her a pair of thick leather gloves. Once she'd gotten those on, he handed her a thick hat. "These belonged to some adventurers that passed through here a while ago and never made it to the top. Knowing this, you're still going?"

She nodded. "I told you, I have to. There's something I'm looking for."

"What?"

"I'll know it when I see it." With that, she pulled the hat down into place and paced a bit to get used to the new weight of the clothes.

Again the man sighed. "I'll take you part of the way. But you'll have to do the climbing yourself. Hang on." He left and returned with a small pack, stuffed to the brim. "Food and blankets and matches. I figure that you can get water from the snow if you need it. Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."

The girl nodded and paced about the room fitfully until the man returned, fully dressed now. She slipped on the pack and silently followed him outside and up the slope, until they reached a nearly-vertical wall of ice. "This is as far as I can take you," he said. "You'll have to go it alone from here."

"I'll be fine," she said, flexing her fingers inside the gloves. "Thank you." And with that, she reached up and grabbed for a natural handhold, hoisting herself upwards.

"Remember to warm yourself up when you get a chance!" he shouted up to her. "You'll need it!"

She nodded and turned her attention to the task of climbing.

**I thought you'd never get rid of him.**

"Hush," she grunted under her breath, checking to make sure her foot got in the depression. "Look, this was not my idea, all right?"

**I know. I assure you that I will repay your kindness somehow.**

"We'll talk about that when it happens," she muttered, hauling herself up on a ledge and exhaling sharply. "Woo! Cold!" She hopped up and down until she warmed up a bit and then resumed her climb.

**Had I the energy, I would do the climb myself…**

"We'll live," she muttered. "That and the transformation is not something I wish to experience again anytime soon-gah!" Her hand slipped and she nearly took a tumble. She flattened herself against the wall until her heart stopped pounding in her chest, and then went for the handhold again. "Note to self: Pay some fucking attention!"

**…At the next ledge, prepare for a transformation. No arguing.**

"Fine, fine," she muttered, reaching for the next handhold and pulling herself up. "Just… make it fast, all right?" she added weakly.

**I shall make my best effort. I do not like the feeling of being turned inside out either. **

Was he trying to console her? She really couldn't tell. The girl exhaled as she reached for a handhold that was a bit farther off, and made it without slipping this time. She stepped onto the ledge and shivered as a particularly chilly wind blew through, removing her pack and setting it down. "Yii! Cold! Make it fast!"

**It does take a moment to gather the energy from you, you know.**

"And you can lose the sarcasm," she muttered.

**Funny. Prepare yourself.**

Pain shot through her almost exactly as if she was being turned inside out through her nostrils, as a purple light surrounded her on the small ledge. When it died, the girl was no longer there, but a half-naked man was kneeling in her place, his silver hair tossed about by the wind. He stood and surveyed the climb ahead of him. "You did well," he said gently. "Now let me finish."

Jeez, what a drop…

"I know." He spotted the pack and opened it, removing a blanket and tying it about his chest in a complicated pattern he'd picked up in Wutai. "But I would survive more readily than you would."

I know. Nice outfit.

"Snickering is bad manners," he said, then hefted the pack onto his back and reached for a handhold.

And what are you going to do about it, mister Sephiroth? 

Sephiroth chuckled. "You'll see." He reached for another handhold and continued to climb, the wind's whistling as his only other sound…


	2. Black Materia

Warning: If you don't like blatant self-insertions or Mary-Sues, leave now. Flames will be publicly mocked.

Formatting errors are (hopefully) fixed. Bold, italic, and underlines all denote separate individuals' thoughts.

* * *

He stood and surveyed the crater dispassionately, frowning as he studied the Mako flares jutting miles above the surface. "I don't think you should go down there," he said. "I would rather not have to nurse you through Mako poisoning. Or a vicious monster attack."

__You do remember that you burn twice the energy that I do, correct? 

"I remember," Sephiroth said. "But I also remember that you have no fighting experience to speak of, no materia, and no other true options at the moment." He frowned. "I simply hope that Masamune is down there as well. I do not relish the thought of taking on monsters with my bare hands."

Why didn't you say so earlier? Can you use a katana? 

"Where did you get a katana from?" he asked.

I nicked it while the old guy wasn't looking. You didn't notice I was climbing somewhat stiffly? It's under my coat. 

"Little sneak." He paused. "You do realize that it will take two changes, correct?"

Don't remind me. I have a nasty feeling I'll be devouring more of that food than I should as it is. 

"We shall worry about that when it happens." He put down the pack and the purple light surrounded him, then died, leaving the gasping girl in his place.

She slipped her arm up under the coat and pulled out an old-fashioned katana. "Woo! Mind if I eat something first? I feel like there's something trying to eat its way out of my chest."

**Be expedient about it. I think there's something coming. **

She went into the pack and fumbled out a cold strip of dried meat, chewing on it hastily. "This should do," she mumbled, shoving the last large bit into her mouth and chewing frantically. "Mmph. Shit, I think you're right." She dropped to her knees as the purple light enveloped her again and then died. Sephiroth stood and lifted the katana into his hand, unsheathing it and fastening the sheath to his right side. As an afterthought, he too got a piece of dried meat from the pack and chewed on it as he put the pack back over his shoulders. The ground rumbled under his feet and he frowned before making a leap down to the first stone ledge.

I hope to hell you remember how to use a sword. 

"I do," he breathed softly, steam issuing from his mouth. "But I would prefer not to test that out. I need silence…"

Got it. I'll shut up now. 

Sephiroth stealthily slipped down farther into the crater, katana at the ready, thankful that it had been so well taken care of originally. At about the fifth ledge, three was a roar and an Iron Giant lurched directly in front of him. Its beady eyes fixed on him and it roared again as it brought down the massive sword right where he had been standing. Sephiroth darted to its side and slashed it with the katana, leaped back, and slashed again. The Iron Giant roared in pain and swung its sword again, narrowly slicing Sephiroth's head off. He ducked underneath and brought the katana around in a tight arc, lopping off the Giant's arm. A harsh scream issued from the Giant's mouth shortly before Sephiroth leapt up and neatly severed its head from its body, then wiped off the blood with a bit of the blanket. "Still want to go down by yourself?"

Nope. Not me. 

"I thought so." He resumed the descent, keeping a wary eye out. "In any case, once I do find it, it should afford you considerably more protection than you have right now and make the change easier. After that… well, I'm not sure, to be honest, although I believe that after a certain length of time, I will finally attain a flesh-and bone form again." Sephiroth chuckled. "I might even permit a couple of your fangirl fantasies to take place."

…I'm not even going to ask how you know that. I think I already know. 

"I would much rather have you stalking me," he said, jumping down about twenty feet to a nest of materia crystals. "You at least know well what happens if you get carried away."

There's a difference between being a depraved fangirl and being a stupid fangirl. Stupid gets you into trouble. It doesn't take a genius to see THAT. 

"What would you know about depravity?" he asked, ducking a materia crystal and weaving around another. "I believe you've led a rather sheltered life."

__I know depravity is infinitely preferable to stupidity. …what's that humming? 

"What humming?" he asked.

You don't hear it? It's coming from your right, over by that big crystal growth. 

He padded over to the large clump of crystals. About halfway there, his ears picked up a faint humming. "That humming, I presume?"

Yes, that. It's grating my eardrums. 

"Well, we shall find out shortly." He searched for the source, blue eyes darting left and right. Then he spotted it. The Black Materia sat nestled among several variegated crystals of materia, a soft purple glow about it that brightened as he neared. "That's it. You'll have to take it, as you are the one who needs protection."

I need a nap, that's what I need. 

"Once we are out of here, you will get your nap, I assure you," he said, laying down the katana. The purple glow shone around him and then she reappeared, shivering violently. Her teeth chattered as she reached out and carefully touched the Black Materia, which warmed and glowed eye-blindingly bright. When the light died down, she blinked several times. The Black Materia was gone.

"Where'd it go?"

**Look down. **

She did so and blinked. The Black Materia now hung from a silver chain around her neck, encased in a spiral wire cage. It pulsed softly with purple light, and she experimentally picked it up, finding it surprisingly light for its size. It barely fit in her hand, although it was surprisingly warm. "What now?" she asked.

**We find Masamune. **

"Okay, that was a stupid question," she sighed. "Now how do we go about doing THAT?" The Black Materia lit up, projecting a beam of light off in one direction and she shook her head, reaching down and grabbing up the katana before trotting off in that direction. "It's cold in here," she muttered, huddling deeper into the coat.

**If I still had my coat, I would let you use it. It would be far warmer than that you have now, although what you have now is quite adequate. **

"I know," she said, sighing as she climbed over a small pile of materia crystals. She slipped slightly and a purple crystal sliced a gash in the back of her right hand, making her yelp with pain. "Ow! Shit!" She climbed up a bit higher to a ledge and winced as she pulled a strip of cloth off her shirt and wrapped it around her hand.

Did anything get into it?

"No," she grunted, taking one end of cloth in her teeth to hold it while she made a crude knot. "Thankfully." She tugged the knot tightly and winced as she carefully flexed her fingers. "I think it got a few tendons, though. Dammit!"

**…Set down your things. **

"You don't have to tell ME twice," she muttered, laying down the katana carefully and cradling her injured hand as the purple glow enveloped her. Then Sephiroth stood, took up the katana, and began carefully climbing.

__I think we need to hit that top ledge. 

Sephiroth nodded, carefully climbing up through the wickedly sharp materia crystals until he reached the top ledge, which led into another room. And inside, he saw Masamune stuck into a large crystal of materia. Swift strides brought him over to the crystal and he wrapped his hand around Masamune's hilt and yanked fiercely. Masamune reluctantly slid free and he gave it a few experimental swipes, nodding in satisfaction as it cleaved several materia crystals in two. He set down the katana. "Take that. We are going to need to return it." And the purple glow enveloped him as the girl reappeared.

"Fine, fine," she groused, making sure to pick it up with her left hand, and for lack of any other place to put it, buckled it on over her coat. "Now what?"

Any answer that was coming was interrupted by a roar, as several red dragons appeared overhead, all eyeing her. The girl's jaw dropped and she looked around in vain for cover. "Shit!" She dashed to the entrance, and then leapt backwards as one of the dragons knocked down a pile of rocks, blocking the way out. "Oh, no," she gasped, her gaze darting, fear welling up in her eyes…


	3. Bad Moon Rising

Cloud groaned and rolled over again, sighing and sitting up in the darkened room. He hadn't slept well for who knew how long, and tonight was no different. He stood up and padded to the bathroom, where he turned on the light and stared at himself in the mirror for several seconds.

He had rushed to the long-lost Cetra city once the aftereffects of Meteor and Holy's unexpected merger had finally died down, and waited. And waited. And yet Aeris didn't come, as she had promised. Tifa had stayed for a while, but had left too. "There's someone I have to mourn, Cloud," she'd said quietly. "I don't know if I'll be back or not. But you know how to reach me." And then she too was gone, leaving him with a vague feeling of guilt at having driven her away.

And the nightmares still haunted him.

Every night, the same images. Once he finally drifted to sleep, he would find himself in the submerged temple, standing before Aeris as she prayed. Then, that familiar black shadow would descend and Sephiroth's blade would plunge through her. In slow motion, her blood spilled out over the altar as Sephiroth wrenched Masamune free and she fell forward into Cloud's waiting arms to breathe her last. And Sephiroth would mock him. "You killed her," he always said, that damnable smirk on his face. "See? Even now your hands are wrapped around the hilt of her executioner." And invariably, Cloud would look down, and see his hands wrapped around Masamune as it protruded from Aeris's spine.

And he always woke up in tears.

Cloud splashed his face with water and staggered back to the bed, surrounded by the strange glowing spheres that were a constant fixture of the Cetra city. He thought they might be portals to the beyond, had even sat with his hand pressed against one for several hours, trying desperately to get in contact with Aeris or anyone else, and nothing ever came. He'd thought he'd gotten through once, but it had been nothing but static. Still, their presence comforted him, and he left them as they were.

He sat on the edge of the bed, hands draped over his knees, and sighed heavily. "Where are you, Aeris?" he asked the empty air.

His PHS rang shrilly, breaking the silence, and he gaped at it for a few moments before grabbing it up and snapping it open. "Hello?" His own voice sounded strange to him, and he wondered why that was.

Tifa's voice came over the other end. "Cloud?" she asked. "Is there any way you can get to Cosmo Canyon? Red's found something you ought to see."

Cloud groped around for his shirt. "What is it?" He yanked the shirt over his head and downward over his chest, and then felt about for his boots.

"I don't know what to call it," Tifa said finally. "But it's located around the Crater. Whatever it is, it's bothering the Planet… Red's recorded screams."

Cloud stuffed his feet into the boots and grabbed up the Ultima Weapon. "I'll be there as fast as I can." He snapped the PHS shut and strode outside, where he put two fingers into his mouth and whistled shrilly. A few moments later, a gold chocobo came up to him and chirped affectionately. "Hello, Zack," he said softly to it. "Come on, we've got to go."

And a few moments later, Cloud rode off across the ocean.

It didn't take him long at all to reach Cosmo Canyon. Once he got inside, he turned Zack over to one of the locals and went to the observatory where Red XIII resided. Tifa met him at the door, looking as if she hadn't been sleeping well. "Hurry," she said upon seeing Cloud. "It doesn't sound good at all."

Cloud followed Tifa inward to the observatory, where Red was intently examining a few charts on a table before him. As they entered, he leapt to the floor to greet them. "Hello, Cloud," he said quietly. "I've been observing the Crater for some time now, and in the last few days there have been strange tremors within its depths. Then, a couple days ago, I recorded this." He flicked his tail at the tape recorder and Tifa pressed a button on top. A familiar haunting cry came from the speakers, that of the Planet, and Cloud could feel the hair on the end of his neck standing on end.

"But we defeated Sephiroth," he said finally. "How could this be happening now?"

Red turned back to his charts. "There have been strange energies coming from the Crater for several weeks," he said. "Distinctly nonhuman ones. Then, a few days ago, the energies spiked drastically. That was when I first recorded the Planet's cries. …I think it may be Jenova."

Cloud's face hardened. "So what do you need me for?" he asked, although he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Will you let me take a small cell sample?" Red asked quietly. "I realize you may not care for the thought, but you are the only one with Jenova cells still living. I assure you that I do not intend to take up Hojo's mantle," he added, a faint smile in his voice.

Cloud exhaled deeply, pushing up his shirt sleeve. "Take what you need. I trust you."

Red nodded. "Tifa, if I could get you to do the honors? My paws are not suited to manipulating needles."

Tifa took up a needle from a nearby tray and approached Cloud, who stared stonily at the wall until he felt a sting in his upper arm. Tifa backed away with the needle and huddled with Red over a petri dish for a moment, then came back over and inspected the site. "No bleeding," she said softly. "Is this the power of Jenova?"

Red looked up from the dish. "Tifa, will you fetch the generator?"

Tifa nodded. "Of course," she said, heading out and Cloud followed her. "There's a small mako energy generator around here that he keeps for experimental purposes," she explained to Cloud. "He thinks that there's a reaction between Lifestream and Jenova…"

Cloud frowned. "What kind of reaction?"

"We don't know," Tifa said. "But whatever it is, it can't be good…" She approached the generator and Cloud swiftly stepped to the other side, helping her to lift it up and carry it back to Red. There, Red instructed them to hook it up to the energy sensor, while he hooked up the energy 'injector'. Then, Tifa brought the 'injector' close to the sample, and they watched the monitor.

The sample started to throb, in a definite rhythm, and Red nudged a switch nearby. Another monitor, this one labled 'Crater' lit up, and began to throb.

The two were throbbing in unison.

"So what does this mean?" Cloud asked softly.

Red turned and looked at them. "Jenova's sucking Lifestream out of the Crater."


	4. Brushes With Death

Her eyes darted wildly this way and that, hoping for an exit, hands flying to her mouth as she realized that there was no way out. The ground shook under her feet as one of the red dragons crash-landed in front of her, eyeing her like she was a tasty little morsel. Sephiroth's voice rang sharply in her head. **Get down! **

The katana clattered against the floor as she dropped like a rock, the purple glow whisking her away and bringing Sephiroth out, who turned the drop into an ungainly roll and flipped to his feet, brandishing Masamune in his left hand. Clicks sounded in the belly of the red dragon before flames jetted from its mouth and engulfed a good chunk of the materia crystals, melting them and sending up an acrid, harsh smell. Sephiroth lunged out of the way of the flames and brought Masamune down against the dragon's scaly hide, and it roared in pain as blood poured from its side. The other dragons roared angrily in response and began landing on the cavern floor one by one. Sephiroth growled deep in his throat as the girl's voice in his head uttered near-hysterical whimpers of fright. He snatched up a stray materia crystal, ignoring the gashes it made in his hand, and focused deep on the spark of power deep within it, willing it to activate.

A harsh screeching noise filled the air and a greenish orb appeared and spread into a large green cloud, which then exploded in several powerful bursts of energy, and the dragons all screamed harshly as the powerful magic cut through their scaly hides. Sephiroth took a deep breath, most of his energy already spent from the effort of casting, and then willed the spark in the materia to activate again, even as he brought Masamune upward. Again the greenish energy blast exploded in the midst of the dragons and their screams filled the air while they slashed left and right to try and find the source of their pain.

The materia crystal fell to the ground as Sephiroth darted forward, and shoved Masamune into the neck of one dragon, then yanked it about and spun for the next one even as the first one's death throes began to shake the floor. The second's head went flying and landed in one of the puddles of melted materia. However, the third dragon was a bit faster than its companions and lashed out with more flames. Sephiroth was too slow to dodge these and took nearly the full brunt, his body screaming in agony at the unaccustomed pain inflicted on it. He only faintly heard the girl's frightened scream as he went tumbling to the ground, blood running down his chest and back as the scorched skin bubbled and reddened, even as his hyper-regeneration kicked in to start undoing the worst of the damage. Masamune clattered to the ground nearby and Sephiroth hissed in agony as he pushed himself upward, only to fling himself aside as another dragon attempted to stomp on him. His breath came in heaving gasps as he lurched to his feet, every nerve screaming in agony. A faint purple glow enveloped his hand and he blanched, forcing himself to concentrate on remaining present, but he knew his energy was dwindling, and he hadn't much time.

"Listen," he rasped softly to the girl in his head. "I haven't much longer. My energy is dwindling. All you need to do is grab that materia crystal there and concentrate on finding the little spark of power inside it." He gestured weakly to the one he'd dropped earlier. "Do you think you can do that?"

I… I can try…

"All right," he said to her. "I know you can." And his concentration suddenly shattered as the last of his energy ran out, and the purplish glow enveloped him before revealing the girl. The dragon snapped at her and she screamed, darting away from the crystal and around a large jagged rock, before screwing up all her courage and sprinting towards the fallen crystal of materia. She tripped over a protruding rock and fell to the ground, landing just a few feet from it, and coughed as her lip dripped blood onto the ground, having split on impact. A dark shadow fell over her and she turned to see the largest of the three remaining dragons looming over her, mouth open wide as its stomach rumbled, then clicked, once, twice, and thrice, as an orange jet emerged…

…and there was a bright flash of purple from beneath her as the Black Materia lit up and shot out into midair, the same harsh screeching noise as earlier coming from it, except much more so. Her eyes widened as the same green energy exploded around the three remaining dragons, and all screamed as they died, their last few convulsions making the ground under her feet shake dangerously. The Black Materia then dimmed, although it still pulsed with the deep purple light, and then fell limply to the end of the chain. She pushed herself into an upright position, taking the green materia shard in her good hand, before wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face in them as she began to shake, now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "Oh, my god," she breathed softly. "Oh, my god…"

**Easy. It's over now. **

"I had no idea," she muttered to herself. "I mean, I'd played the game, but… I froze. I can't believe I froze. What the hell is wrong with me?"

**Breathe,** Sephiroth commanded her. **You're not the first one who's frozen in times of crisis. In any case, it's over now… **He paused.** …if you'll let me, I'll take care of the rest of the way out – autopilot, if you will. Will you let me?**

"Does this mean I get my nap?" she asked, a touch of dark humor in the question.

If Sephiroth could have smiled, he would have, but his amusement carried over into his 'voice'**. Of course. All you have to do is take Masamune's handle, and I shall take care of the rest, if you trust me… **

She chewed on her bottom lip, until it stung wildly at the split point, and she hissed. "I… I trust you," she said finally. "Just… don't make me do anything hideously embarrassing. That's all I ask." And she got up and wearily trudged over to Masamune, wrapping her left hand about the handle after tucking the materia shard into a pocket on the coat. "Now what?"

**Close your eyes and relax. **

The girl pushed her glasses up higher on her nose, noting with a frown that the lenses were scuffed, and closed her eyes. Sephiroth, inside her mind, used his hypnotic powers to put her consciousness to sleep, before assuming control of her body. 'Her' eyes opened again and 'she' lifted Masamune easily, as the long trek out of the deep cavern began.

It felt like several hours later once 'she' reached the top of the Crater, and turned around to survey it dispassionately before trudging down the steep sides and through the snow, the wind whipping about 'her'. About midway down the side, the girl's mind began stirring and Sephiroth paused until she fully awoke**. We will have to change once more, if only so that Masamune will be concealed, **he told her. **Do you think you can handle it? **

"Um… yeah…" she said, still slightly groggily, then blushed as her stomach growled. "Um… can I have five minutes?"

**Certainly. **

The girl took a blanket from the pack and wrapped it around herself, then dug out another strip of beef jerky and gnawed on it as she huddled under the tree, Masamune temporarily laying atop her feet. "It's cold," she muttered under her breath to herself, almost whining. "It's cold, it's cold, it's cold, it's cold…" Then she shoved some dried fruit into her mouth and began chewing on that as well.

Once she finished, she straightened up and closed her eyes as the glow enveloped her and brought Sephiroth out. He picked up Masamune, frowning slightly at the thought that he was direly out of practice, and then the glow reappeared, bringing the girl back with it. She shivered and clutched the blanket tightly around herself before trudging through the driving snow, wincing at the force of the wind against her exposed skin.

"Hey!" And the man from before grabbed her arm. "What are you doing out here in this blizzard? Come this way before you freeze!" And he tugged her along behind him until they reached his house, where he ushered her inside and headed into the kitchen. She quickly replaced the katana in its original spot before realizing she was shivering violently, her teeth chattering against each other uncontrollably. The man came back with a hot bowl of soup and pushed it into her hands. "Eat it all," he said firmly. "And get out of those clothes this instant. You're lucky you don't have frostbite or anything like that. And once you're done with that, there's a hot bath waiting for you." And he bustled out of the room, leaving a very bewildered girl behind him.

**…I think I shall take a short nap as well**. And with that, Sephiroth went silent, leaving the girl to her own devices for a while.


	5. Reunion?

Vincent looked up to the sky as he came to the waterfall. There was something in the air that bothered him, though he could not have put a name to it at this moment. An unnatural silence had followed him throughout the journey, and he didn't like it. Even the normal profusion of wildlife hadn't bothered him along the way. He frowned as he passed behind the loud curtain of water and into the room behind it, heading to the crystalline altar. For a moment, he regarded the place silently, then placed a small bundle of white roses mixed with violets down upon the ground. "I know not where you've gone," he said quietly to the air before him, "but I hope it is more peaceful than what you left behind." And then he turned and padded out of the cavern.

Vincent padded over to where he'd tethered a black chocobo that he'd found wandering in the woods one day with an injured leg. It had taken him a little while to cajole the chocobo into coming to him so he could see to the wound, but it'd refused to leave once its leg was healed. After many futile tries, Vincent finally gave up and allowed the chocobo to accompany him. He hadn't named it yet, and wasn't sure he ever would. However, it was a sort of companionship, and he found that he rather liked it.

The silence was overwhelming as he reached the chocobo's side and it chirped happily at him. As he climbed on its back, he looked this way and that, trying to find the source of his uneasiness. The chocobo climbed the high mountains with ease as Vincent sat lost in thought, until the wind picked up and the chocobo squawked in fright. Vincent's hand grasped the handle of the Death Penalty and drew it out of one of the saddlebags as an odd shuffling noise reached his ears…

…and then IT appeared, lurching heavily in their direction, drooling greenish bile from its mouth, and Vincent's eyes widened in shock. "Jenova!" he breathed before whipping the Death Penalty up to eye level and firing. The Jenova-spawn roared angrily and whipped a mucus-covered tentacle in their direction, and Vincent leapt off the panicked chocobo and landed roughly, firing again before he even had a stable footing. The bullet punctured what might have been an eye and foul-smelling liquid spattered on the ground below it. The Jenova-spawn screamed in agony and lashed out at him with a barrage of blinding green mucus, which flung him backwards into the dirt. The mucus burned every bit of bare skin it touched and searing pain shot through him, even as his adrenaline level peaked, triggering the mutated genes implanted in him by Hojo into awakening. Vincent doubled over in agony as his insides churned, bones lengthened and shrank, and his muscles tore apart and rebuilt, all changing him into the fearsome Chaos beast.

Chaos arose and hovered in the air, its malevolent intelligence calculating how best to rid itself of this annoyance, while a small part that was still Vincent hoped that the chocobo had been able to escape safely. A dark crackling energy built around his hand, and formed into something resembling a sword, before Chaos rushed forward and slashed at the Jenova-spawn with it indiscriminately. The Jenova-spawn screamed again and lashed out with its tentacles, wrapping them around Chaos and squeezing with all its might. Chaos roared in anger and sunk its talons into the nearest tentacle, drawing more foul-smelling blood from the Jenova-spawn and eliciting another pained scream. The tentacles uncurled from Chaos's body and Chaos lunged at it again, stabbing deep into the Jenova-spawn's warty hide.

A malevolent intelligence flickered to life in the eyes of the Jenova-spawn and it began to override the cells in its being to produce a sound that no normal human could have heard. Chaos, being composed of Jenova itself, was unprepared for the auditory assault and fell to its knees, clutching its head as the high-pitched screeching made every cell in its body rebel against itself, causing unimaginable pain throughout his being.

The Jenova-spawn moved in closer, still emitting that unholy sound, and started to beat on Chaos with every tentacle it could spare, adding yet more pain to the mix. Chaos screamed, but was helpless to do anything about its attacker. Blood began to flow from wounds on Chaos's skin, tinting the dirt below it a reddish-orange hue, and Chaos could feel its consciousness slipping away, even as it scrabbled to keep awake…

…And then a pink bolt of energy flew into the Jenova-spawn, knocking it off its feet and sufficiently scrambling its systems to make the high-pitched noise stop. A Lamia slithered into view, complete with sharp talon-like fingernails, and long neon pink hair covering its bare breasts. It raised a finger and pointed at the Jenova-spawn again, and another pink energy bolt lanced through it, sending its blood and large chunks of its internal organs splattering wetly to the ground. An agonized scream ripped from the Jenova-spawn's throat as the Lamia slithered forward and began ripping out chunks of skin with its talon-like fingernails left and right, until it was nothing more than a bloody hunk of mutated flesh and acidic blood in the dirt.

Chaos struggled to maintain consciousness, in an attempt to not be brutally torn limb from limb by this new monster, but its strength was fading rapidly, and it slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing it saw was the Lamia looming over it…

Vincent awoke several hours later, his heart pounding, and a breeze playing over his body. He realized, startled, that someone had taken the time to undress him and bandaged up his wounds. "Has someone rescued me from the Lamia?" he asked himself, bewildered. "And where is this?"

He threw the covers aside and peered out the window. The high red cliffs reflected sunlight this way and that, and he realized that this was indeed Cosmo Canyon. He'd only been there once, with Cloud, but it wasn't a place easily forgotten. Now that begged another question: who'd brought him here?

"You awake?" Tifa's soft voice asked from behind him.

Vincent whirled around, startled. "Tifa," he said. "…what's going on?"

Tifa stepped forward out of the doorway. "You were brought here about a day ago, bleeding pretty badly," she said. "Um, it's probably just as well you came her anyway. Red's discovered that Jenova's sucking energy from the Lifestream."

Vincent hissed under his breath. "It was Jenova that attacked me," he said to her. "A form I've never seen before, with the power to utterly disable me by emitting a high-pitched scream," he said, wincing slightly in memory. "Is there any more information?" He paused. "And who was it that brought me here and away from that Lamia?"

Tifa's eyes flickered to the window. "I was asked not to say," she said finally. "However, they're with Red right now, if you want to see for yourself. They're running a few experiments on a sample of Cloud's cells that we took earlier." A smile formed on her lips. "You may want to put on your shirt, though."

Vincent looked at Tifa, surprised, but nonetheless reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head, wincing slightly at a few sore places he hadn't known were there, and got up, padding softly through the halls after Tifa. It wasn't long before they reached the small laboratory, where Cloud stood outside, leaning against the wall. He nodded to Vincent as they came up. "They're still going over theory," he said quietly. "Most of it I don't care to think about, so I came out here." He hadn't been sleeping well, Vincent thought, and thought that it must be because of Aeris. But then, neither had he or Tifa. "Anyway, there's a few questions that Red wants to ask you, Vincent, so go ahead and go in."

Vincent nodded and pushed the door open. Inside, Red was at a table, with a person in a labcoat bent over it. They both looked up and Vincent could feel his heart skip a beat. "…Lucrecia?" he asked softly.

Lucrecia nodded, pushing a stray gray-tinged strand of hair out of her face. "Hello, Vincent," she said softly, before turning back to Red. "In any case, the sound was something like this." And then she puckered her lips as if to whistle, but instead the same high-pitched screeching sound that had paralyzed Vincent came out. Vincent winced and clapped his hands over his ears until it stopped. Even Red looked dazed.

Cloud leaned in the doorway, wincing as well. "What was THAT?" he demanded.

"My apologies," Lucrecia said quietly. "I was merely demonstrating what the Jenova-spawn I encountered earlier used as a disabling technique. Anyone with Jenova cells in them will not be unaffected. It wasn't a characteristic seen in the first experiments, leading me to believe that someone's added it or it has naturally evolved." A troubled look appeared in her eyes. "Apparently I am the only one immune to it."

Red blinked. "How is that?"

Lucrecia hand shifted and rippled, developing familiar taloned fingernails. "I've had some time to experiment with the mutation caused by increased adrenaline," she said, watching the mutation dispassionately. "It's nearly like Vincent's, but with considerably more control." And then the Lamia hand vanished. "Although I was only able to test it against the Jenova-spawn yesterday…"

Vincent frowned. "Lucrecia…" he said quietly. "When you are done here, please come and see me… we need to talk." And then he turned and pushed past Cloud and out of the room.

Lucrecia simply smiled sadly. "I thought that was how he would react," she said, in response to the three questioning looks she received. "But it cannot be helped. Now," she said to Red, "what were we saying about Sample C?"


	6. Shadowed Truth

She yawned profusely as she awoke, and sleepily padded into the bathroom to relieve herself, before climbing back under the covers and curling up underneath the thick blankets. The old man had finally let her go to sleep, and she was grateful for the rest. Absently she ran a finger over her lip, which was now covered with a scab and throbbed only occasionally, as opposed to constantly. She snuggled into the plump mattress and closed her eyes, thinking about how she'd wound up here in the first place.

* * *

…She'd been sleeping soundly in her own bed, and suddenly something had awoken her, but she didn't know what. Then she rolled over and sat up sleepily, yawning profusely, and then gaped as something flickered before her. She scrabbled for her glasses as it appeared again, an indistinct silhouette, and gaped in shock as a few words filtered to her ears. "…help… me…"

Without really thinking about it, she grabbed up a shirt and jeans from the pile of clothes sitting in her desk chair, and slipped into them hurriedly. She'd just finished pulling her hair back roughly when the silhouette appeared again, and then solidified. Sephiroth stood there before her, his expression pleading. "I need your help…" he'd said, extending one hand to her, and she took it...

…and the world fell apart around her as she slipped into blackness…

She'd awoken on a beach, and with a voice in her head directing her to head north – Sephiroth's voice, no less. What else could she do? She hadn't any other choice, and started walking…

* * *

**Are you regretting it?** Sephiroth's 'voice' asked her quietly.

"No," she said softly. "I mean, I probably should have asked what was going on before just jumping in, but that can't be helped now." She yawned sleepily. "I'm a sucker for pretty guys, so sue me."

**I'm flattered.** Sephiroth sounded somewhere between embarrassed and amused.** In any case, try to get some sleep. It's going to be a long walk in the morning.** And he settled down again. The girl yawned and closed her eyes, sleep coming more easily than usual, as the wind howled outside.

The next morning, the girl got up and began getting dressed. The old man who lived there blinked at her as she came out of the bedroom and stifled a yawn. "Now where are you going?" he asked.

"Back down," she said. "I've done what I needed to do here. Now I need to get back to civilization." She idly glanced in the mirror and made a face at the brown roots peeking out of her unnaturally red hair. "But I gotta get back up to Snow Village first."

He stood up and went to a desk. "Then I wouldn't recommend that you try to climb back up. There's an ice tunnel here that's a lot longer, but a lot safer, especially since you're a novice to this kind of thing." He brought a map over to her and pointed to a route marked on it. "From here you go straight until you reach these trees, then follow them to your right. There'll be a cave there, and that's the one you want. It should put you right below Snow Village once you exit."

"Ah," she said softly, studying the map. "Oh, did you want this stuff back?"

He shook his head. "Keep it. You'll need it for the trip. And for heaven's sake, try to stay out of trouble this time."

The girl smiled. "I will." And she headed outside, pack in hand.

The journey to the cave was fairly quiet, if cold, and the girl paused at the entrance to eat some more dried fruit. "Some cave," she said, eying the ice walls.

**I wonder if this is man-made?** Sephiroth mused. **This doesn't look natural at all. **

"Should I be worried?" she asked.

**Just keep your guard up,** he said. **It may not be a cause for concern at all. In any case, we need to hurry.**

She nodded and headed into the cave, eying the reflections of the ice about her. The light was gone fairly rapidly, but the Black Materia gave off enough of a glow that she was able to walk freely without having to cling to the wall for guidance. Something rumbled ominously in the distance and she blinked in surprise. "What was that?"

**I don't know,** Sephiroth told her. **It didn't sound like a monster…**

The girl frowned and started to walk a bit faster. "I'm not sticking around here to find out." Her footsteps echoed in the yawning tunnel, and she blanched as she heard other footsteps, distinctly separate from hers, from behind her. And they seemed to be moving to keep up with her. She tried to keep her pace as normal as possible, though she slipped her hand into her pocket and clasped the materia shard from the Crater tightly.

**Whatever it is, it's moving fast,** Sephiroth commented, something unidentifiable in his 'voice'. **I suggest you start running. **

"Dammit," she muttered before breaking into a run, the Black Materia thumping against her chest, and the materia shard tightly clutched in her hand. The footsteps behind her resonated faster and faster, as if to catch her, and she winced and put on a burst of speed. A light began to grow at the end of the tunnel, and she picked up the speed just a bit more, bursting into a field of white and making a sharp turn towards Snow Village, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

At the tunnel entrance, the mysterious pursuer paused, remaining just out of sight, although an unpleasant grin glittered on its face before it went back the way it came. "There's no hurry," it muttered to itself. "After all, she can't hide from me with that toy about her neck…"

The girl came to a stop in the middle of the village, panting heavily as her heart pounded in her chest. After a moment, she turned and went towards a house on the edge of the village, slipping inside and closing the door behind her. "Was this where you wanted to be?" she asked.

**Yes,** Sephiroth said to her. **Go to that console and look underneath the top edge. There should be a tape sealed in a case up underneath the lip, where it can't be seen. It has important information on both the Black and White Materials. Then the other ones in the machine I need to see. **

She nodded and bent down to look, then reached inside and pulled out a gray case. "This must be the one," she said, opening the case and slipping it into the machine. The screen lit up and a fuzzy recording began to play.

* * *

"Ah, that wire's loose," said a man in a labcoat as the screen behind him lit up. "Now, Ifalnia, please tell us about the two Materias."

The young woman on screen nodded. "As I've said before, all materia is created from the Lifestream, the souls of those departed. Because of this, there is a limited intelligence inherent in ALL materia, but no more than is necessary for them to take energy from a human and convert it into magic. However, the Holy and Meteor are different in this respect. Both are overwhelmingly powerful, and are both somewhat sentient as well, enough to protect those who wield them from anything, possibly including death. These two materia do this by constantly taking a miniscule amount of energy from their bearer, and in return, giving them benefits they cannot receive from normal materia, like the ability to regenerate wounds and use the other spells contained within them."

"Other spells?" the man asked.

"Yes, there are other spells kept safely within these two powerful materia," the young woman said. "But the knowledge of these spells has long been forgotten by any alive. There are legends that both are instrumental for the Planet to create WEAPON, but it is not known how or why that is. " She paused. "When one is chosen to bear either materia, that materia will do whatever is in its power to keep them alive, in order to protect itself from losing its energy source. However, Holy has been dormant so long I fear it will never activate. And Meteor was locked away ages ago to prevent its planet-shattering power from being abused."

"Are these materias evil, then?"

"No," she said. "It is not the materia, it is the wielder who determines the use or abuse of the magic. Meteor is rumored to be the ultimate magic, and had to be sealed to keep greedy fools from abusing its powers. Were there a good-heated person to find it, then perhaps its power wouldn't be abused."

The man in the labcoat nodded. "How sentient would you estimate these materia are?"

"On the level of a child," she said. "Certainly intelligent enough to do whatever is necessary to keep the bearer alive."

The man in the labcoat nodded. "Very well, Ifalnia, that's all for today." And the screen went dark.

* * *

"…that explains a lot," the girl said quietly. "You said you wanted to see the other tapes?"

**Yes,** said Sephiroth. The girl dialed in a button on the console, as the first tape began to play…


	7. Gathering Together

Yuffie had never been too fond of long meetings, and now was no exception. This particular one had been going on for what seemed like hours, while her father argued with the representatives from Junon about trade rights and fair use and all sorts of other stuff that she frankly held no interest in. She sighed very faintly, recalling the agreement that she'd made with her father – she attended one meeting a month and he'd let her do pretty much as she pleased the rest of the time. She'd have given anything to have an excuse to leave this one, but a promise was a promise, she thought, straightening up to at least appear to be paying attention.

There was a rap at the door and Godo frowned. "Yes?" he asked, the discussion temporarily halted.

"My apologies, Lord Godo," said the young woman who shyly poked her head in, "But there is someone who wishes to see Miss Yuffie immediately – someone by the name of Tifa?"

Yuffie couldn't believe her luck, but kept her face carefully neutral. "Honored father," she said, measuring each word carefully, "will you permit me a few moments away?"

Godo arched one eyebrow, but waved consent. "Go. There is nothing more you need to be present for anyway." And Yuffie carefully got to her feet, gave both Godo and the representatives a bow, and moved perhaps a bit too quickly towards the door, sliding it shut behind her before turning to the young woman. "Where is she?" she asked.

"I had her sent to your quarters," the young woman said. "She seemed distracted by something…"

Yuffie nodded and strode off, heading to her room in the east part of the building. She slid the door open and Tifa looked up, a smile forming across her face. "Hello, Yuffie," she said quietly. "I came to ask a favor…"

Yuffie blinked. "What?"

"We need to borrow your materia," Tifa said quietly. "Red's found out that there's Jenova in the Crater, and he thinks it would be a good idea if we went down to see what's going on."

Yuffie paused, for just a moment, before opening a hidden drawer, and pulling out her Conformer. "On one condition. I'm coming with you - to make sure that I get it all back," she said, a teasing tone in her voice as she opened another drawer and pulled out a sack that clinked.

Tifa giggled softly from behind her. "Of course. Cloud's gone to see if Cid will let us use the Highwind, so we're riding a chocobo back."

Yuffie quickly changed out of formal kimono and into her traveling clothes, then scooped up the Conformer and led Tifa out of the room, pausing only to throw a nearby sheet over a miniature stature of her. In response to Tifa's enquiring look, she clarified. "See, ever since Meteor was destroyed, the town's been making me out to be some kind of big hero or something. I've tried to tell them that it's not true, but they won't listen to me." She sighed, and then grabbed a nearby young man. "Tell my father that I've gone away on business, and I'll make up my meetings when I get back." The young man nodded and ran off.

Tifa nodded. "I see."

While the chocobo crossed the ocean, Yuffie thought for a moment. "How did Red find out about Jenova?"

"He's had some help from Lucrecia and Cloud," Tifa replied quietly.

"Lucrecia?" Yuffie echoed in surprise. "Vincent's old girlfriend?"

Tifa nodded. "Apparently she's learned to change forms like Vincent can, but without needing an adrenaline surge. She's helping Red even now with trying to determine what to expect from Jenova. Vincent isn't too pleased about it, but I guess she managed to convince him it would be better if she helped."

Yuffie nodded quietly. "Um, who else is there?"

"We're working on contacting Barrett and Reeve," Tifa said. "I think that's it, otherwise…"

It wasn't long at all until they reached Cosmo Canyon. Tifa's PHS buzzed and she answered it. "Hello. …Oh, he did? Great. So you're going to Corel now. All right. Yuffie's brought the materia, so we'll be ready to leave whenever. See you soon." Then she hung up. "Cloud's got the Highwind, and he's heading to Corel. We should be ready to set out either tomorrow or the next day."

* * *

Reeve was pragmatic to a fault. It had been a necessity while he was still working with Shinra, and it served him well now while he and Barrett worked to rebuild Corel. Occasionally, however, it wasn't very useful – like when a squealing five-year-old birthday girl glommed onto his leg and demanded he play with her. And Barrett's gruff smirk hadn't helped anyway. Still, he thought it was a nice distraction from paperwork and negotiations.

The hum of a large ship overhead brought his attention to the skies, and he blinked as the familiar silhouette of the Highwind landed several hundred feet away. Shortly thereafter, Cloud came up, waving at Marlene as she ran to glom his legs. "Hey," he said to Reeve. "Is Cait still running? We may need to take him."

Reeve blinked and nodded. "Yeah, I'll have to reprogram him, though. What's up?"

Cloud picked up the squealing Marlene, letting her sit on his shoulders. "I'll explain shortly. We need to see Barrett."

A few minutes later, Cloud, Reeve, and Barrett were in the living room while Elmyra was working on feeding cake and ice cream to several hollering five year-olds in the kitchen. "So Jenova's back?" Barrett inquired gruffly. "Think it be Sephiroth?"

Cloud shook his head. "…I don't think so. I may be wrong, but it doesn't strike me as something he has any hand in. And from what Lucrecia and Red have come up with, it's more like Jenova's acting on its own."

Reeve frowned. "Lucrecia? Wasn't she thought dead?"

"That's what Vincent had thought, too," Cloud told them. "But she's still around, and has an interestingly similar ability to Vincent's. In any case, we're heading down into the Crater before the week ends. And my question is this: Are you coming too?"

"Hell, yes!" Barrett declared vehemently. "Ain't no way I'm gonna let that Jenova thing try to waste da Planet again!"

Reeve nodded. "You'll need me to fix up Cait, after all…"

Cloud grinned softly. "Good. Cid's probably having a fit about waiting for us…"

Marlene ran into the room and glommed Barrett's leg. "Daddy! Want some cake?"

Barrett rested his good hand on Marlene's head. "I can't. I gotta go and save the world again, baby."

"Aww…" Marlene pouted slightly. "Okay. Be careful, okay?" And then she let go and headed back into the kitchen.

Cloud stood up and stretched, even as Reeve pushed up his sleeve to reveal his watch, and pressed a few buttons on its face. A few seconds later, Cait bounced out of the nearby hallway, as perky as ever. "Ready to go!" he announced from atop the stuffed moogle.

Elmyra came out of the kitchen for a brief moment. "Take care," she said softly to them. "All of you."

"We will," Cloud said quietly. "This should be an ordinary informational trip." And the three men, and one stuffed toy, left the building.

Cid was waiting for them outside the Highwind, puffing on a cigarette. "Took you fucking long enough," he groused at them. "What, were you having a tea party or something?"

"Jest sayin' bye to Marlene," Barrett told him. "That's all."

Cid flicked the cigarette butt away into a small puddle of water nearby. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get this show on the road. I'm not letting that damn Jenova thing try to blow up the Planet again." And they boarded the Highwind. A few seconds later, the massive airship lifted off.


	8. White Materia

Sorry about the delay! Work was absolute hell for the last few days, and I've done nothing but sleep once I got home. But, since y'all are so patient, I've got another chapter for you! Enjoy!

P.S. All questions will eventually be answered in the fic, so you have to keep reading. D

* * *

**…well**, Sephiroth said finally, after watching the last of the tapes. **That confirms a few things. **

"You all right?" she asked him. "I mean, it is a big hunk of new knowledge…"

**I just need a little time,** Sephiroth told her. **That's all. In the meantime, we need to head to the ancient Cetra city. The White Materia is there.**

"…and we have to get that too, right?" she asked.

**Precisely**, he told her. **Let's hurry. **

"All right," she said, picking up the pack and heading back outside. The sun was high in the sky by this time and she opened her coat to get some of the nice, soft breeze gently blowing through as she headed down the slope, past the ice tunnel, and on towards the Forgotten Capital. It was night by the time they got there, and Sephiroth hadn't said anything to her during the entire journey, which bothered her a bit. She walked into the city and looked around her as she headed for the one shell house that was still habitable. "Someone's been here," she said, looking at the oddball items like clothes and food strewn about.

**…Cloud**, Sephiroth told her. **I'm sure of it. We're going to Bone Village once you get the White Materia. He may come back and we cannot be discovered.**

"He shouldn't leave his things just laying about like this," she said, eyeballing a bangle on a table. "Now do I take THAT or do I wait until Bone Village?"

**…take it,** Sephiroth said. **I can refine that materia crystal to fit into it. I don't like you going about unprotected.**

"All right," she said, taking the bangle with its sparkling crystals and snapping it around her wrist. "I just hope the path isn't blocked…"

**It shouldn't be,** Sephiroth said to her. **And even if it were, that could be easily rectified. **

She headed out the door and towards the large shell housing the submerged altar. "I sure hope so."

Shortly thereafter, she stepped inside the house and breathed a sigh of relief that the path was clear, with no fish in her way. She carefully picked her way down the high and narrow stairs, until she stood before the altar. "I've got to go in there?" she asked, eying the water askance.

**Yes,** Sephiroth said to her. **Have faith in the Black Materia. It will protect you.**

She made a face. "All right…" Then she began peeling off the pack and most of her clothes until she was down to her bra and panties. "I'd kill for a swimsuit about now," she muttered, sticking her foot in the water. "At least it's warm." And then she jumped into the water.

A soft purple glow surrounded her body as she began to sink to the bottom, carefully holding her breath. "At least I can see without my glasses," she thought as she started making her way through the water, slowly exhaling air bubbles behind her as she went. It wasn't far until she spotted a soft white pulsating glow, and it was about then that she got a terrible urge to inhale. An air bubble materialized before her face and she leant forward, sticking her face into it and inhaling deeply before continuing onward to the White Materia. She reached out and touched it, and its white light blinded her for a few seconds. When it died down, she blinked. The White Materia was nowhere to be seen. Then she realized something was different with her hair, and reached behind her to touch it. Instead of being a low ponytail like before, it was now up at the top of her head, and the White Materia was nestled securely under her scrunchie.

**Someone has an interesting sense of humor,** Sephiroth commented.

"I don't care as long as it stays put," she said, and was surprised that she didn't inhale water.

**Point taken,** Sephiroth told her as she began swimming upwards. **It's not too much farther to Bone Village. I can refine the crystal before we get out of the forest.**

Her head broke water and she inhaled deeply before climbing back onto the platform before the altar. "Cold," she muttered as she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself to dry, before taking her ponytail and wringing much water from it. "Very cold." A few minutes later, she started dressing again, and soon was headed from the Forgotten Capital and into the Sleeping Forest. About halfway through, she took the shard of materia from her pocket and examined it closely.

**Let me,** Sephiroth said quietly to her as she set it down. The purple glow enveloped her and died as he appeared, taking the materia crystal in his free hand and carefully running his thumb over it, closing his eyes and concentrating on its interior structure. After a moment, he snapped off the two sharp ends, and then clutched the remainder in his fist tightly, a silvery glow forming about it. After a moment, it died and he opened his fist to reveal a perfect gleaming materia sphere no bigger than a pencil eraser. "There," he said, setting it down atop a stump. "Just snap it into the bangle and you should be fine." And the purple glow swept him away and brought her back. She picked up the small orb and snapped it into the bangle before heading onwards to Bone Village.

The sky above twinkled with hundreds of thousands of stars as she came from the forest and paused in the village. "Now how am I going to get a room if I don't have any money?" she asked herself quietly.

**…would you like to learn how to fight?** Sephiroth asked her.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked. "On second thought, don't answer that." And she sighed, before heading out and into the plains. "You don't expect me to be able to heft Masamune, do you?"

**No**, Sephiroth told her. **Now would be a good time to learn how to use materia. It's quite simple. Just concentrate on it and see if you can find the spark inside to trigger it, for now…**

"Um, okay," she said, sitting down and studying the small, very faintly glowing green orb in her bangle. "And I'm just supposed to concentrate on it? Me of the short attention span?"

**Yes,** Sephiroth told her, a hint of amusement in his 'voice'. **You'll know when it responds to you, but you have to experiment for yourself. I'm told that the response is different from person to person. **

The girl exhaled slowly. "If you say so…" And then she fixed her attention on the small materia orb, willing it to do something, anything, she didn't care what. She sat there for who knew how long, until a spark of something flashed across her attention, and she focused on it. The small green orb lit with an inner fire and she blinked. "Oooh, shiny," she cooed happily as the materia blazed.

Sephiroth started to laugh at that, and she blinked. "And might I ask just what's so funny?" she demanded.

It took a few moments for him to settle down, but then he spoke. **…just something I remembered back from training cadets, that's all. One in particular had that exact same reaction, but it wasn't until you said that that I realized how similar you two are. **

"…thanks, I think," she said, still studying the materia. "Now what?"

**There are going to be many creatures roaming at this hour,** Sephiroth told her. **Eventually one will come to us and then you can practice on it.**

"Now why don't I find that comforting?" she asked the empty plains about her before getting up and picking a direction to start walking…


	9. Discovery

Cloud looked about the inside of the Highwind uneasily as the massive airship flew towards the Crater. Cid, as usual, was up front barking orders at the pilots, while Yuffie had vanished above deck as soon as the airship had lifted off, presumably still dealing with her motion sickness. Lucrecia and Red were huddled over a pile of musty old books and countless graphs, while Vincent watched Lucrecia moodily from his spot in the opposite corner. Barrett and Reeve were talking about something or another, most likely involving Corel, while Cait charged nearby. Tifa had vanished somewhere as well, and Cloud wondered where she'd gone.

"Right!" Cid bellowed at one of the pilots. "And don't land on the very fucking edge this time!"

"Yes, Captain!" the pilot replied, and shortly thereafter the Highwind made a neat three-point landing not too close to the edge of the Crater. Shortly thereafter, the very motley crew was on the edge of the crater, peering downward. Earthquakes and Mako flares had reduced the original path to rubble, and the ground looked as if it would fall away if you breathed on it.

"Well…" Barrett muttered. "Dat's gonna be fun…"

"Doesn't matter," Cloud said quietly. "We'll find a way…"

Red sniffed at the ground. "Someone's been here," he said after a moment. "I can smell them… it smells familiar, but I can't place them." And he followed the scent about the edge of the Crater. "Here," he said finally, coming to a jutting rock. "I think they climbed this way."

Everyone exchanged a glance. "So someone could be down there even now?" Yuffie asked quietly.

Cid snorted and spit on the ground. "Who cares? If they are, we'll take them on! They can't possibly handle ALL of us!"

"…if it's who I think it is, he probably could," Tifa mused, mostly to herself, but Cloud's eyes hardened. They all knew just whom she meant.

Lucrecia cleared her throat softly. "Standing around here will do us no good," she said quietly, heading to the projection and looking down. "It looks like there's handholds of a sort in the rock. It should be fairly easy to get down to that next ledge…" And she swung one foot over the edge and began to climb.

"That's easy for her to say," Reeve said dryly. "Some of us aren't used to this kind of thing…"

One by one, they climbed down the steep landscape, with the exception of Red and Cait, who both made flying leaps, and Vincent, who merely glided down. This path was narrow, but seemed sturdy enough for all of them, and Red again sniffed at the ground. "It's stronger here, and there is an older one," he said finally. "I would venture to say that the same person went down, and then came back up…"

"And this is someone you believe you know?" asked Lucrecia.

Red nodded. "As I said, I cannot place the scent, but… there is a part of my mind that is disquieted by this scent…"

A chill wind rushed past, and Cloud frowned. "Well, if you figure you who it is, let us know immediately. In the meantime, where are we going now?"

Red headed to the edge of the path and looked down. "Another ledge. And I smell monsters approaching…"

"Not for long," Barrett said gruffly, pushing his gunarm forward and back to load the clip.

Cloud nodded. "Tifa, take care of Reeve," he said as he looked over the ledge. "No offense, Reeve, but until we can get you something you're proficient with, try to stay out of trouble and let Tifa handle anything in your way."

Reeve chuckled softly. "None taken…" He took a materia that Tifa offered him and snapped it into an armlet under his sleeve.

Cloud nodded, again surveying the ledge. "Let's go." And he began to climb, followed by Yuffie and then Lucrecia. Just as Cid touched the ground, with only Barrett, Tifa, Reeve, and Cait left up there, a harsh cry split the air as a red dragon soared in, breathing searing flames over them all. Screams and curses filled the air as the flames scorched the group, and Lucrecia metamorphed into the Lamia almost immediately thereafter, something glinting in her greenish eyes as electricity arced between her hands. Tifa dug in her pocket, pulling out a tiny glass tube, and shaking it before snapping the top off. A multicolored mist surrounded the party as the burns began to fade, and Barrett closed his eyes and concentrated, a white-hot light building at the tip of his gunarm. The ball grew to massive size before launching at the red dragon and leaving bloody burns in its side. The electricity building in the Lamia's hands discharged in a stream of sparks, shocking the dragon and making it scream in rage.

Cloud cursed as the dragon hovered farther back, and closed his eyes, concentrating on the red materia implanted in the Ultima Weapon. The red orb lit up and magic hummed about them, enveloping the dragon and shifting it slightly out of phase with this dimension, even as the magical form of Shiva took shape, and hurled several nasty ice crystals straight into the dragon's hide before vanishing. The dragon shifted back into phase, roaring angrily, and again breathed more searing hot flames over them. Yuffie's Conformer flashed in the light as it flew out and shredded one of the dragons' wings, causing it to list unsteadily, and Vincent finished the job with a few shots from the Death Penalty, sending the dragon into a screaming descent down into the heart of the Crater.

Yuffie cringed slightly as Lucrecia shifted back out of the Lamia form. Red again began to sniff the ground, heading towards a cave of sorts in the wall, and the group followed him inside. The tunnel was dark enough that they had to pause long enough to light a crude torch fashioned out of a chunk of wood and lit with Cid's cigarette. None of them knew how long they traveled through the tunnel, but the walls were soon dotted with enough glowing materia crystals that the torch was no longer necessary. Red's nose twitched. "I smell blood," he announced. "Something died here recently."

They rounded the corner, only to come upon the bloated and stinking corpse of an Iron Giant. Yuffie clapped her hands over her nose and mouth, hastily turning away as Reeve turned green. "Blech," Barrett muttered. "How long dis thing been here?"

Vincent studied the corpse dispassionately. "Not very. It's not decomposed enough to have many blisters on the skin. I would say three days at most…"

"But what killed it?" Cid demanded, lighting another cigarette as if that would drive away the smell.

Vincent stepped forward, crimson eyes searching the corpse. "Someone proficient with a sword. I would venture to state that those lumps of flesh over there are its head and arm…"

At that, Tifa shuddered violently, lost in a memory only she saw. "Red, is that scent still here?" she asked softly.

Red nodded. "All over the place. I would presume that this unknown individual was responsible." He sniffed for the scent track and found it shortly afterward, following it to a ledge overlooking a nest of materia crystals. He leapt down, still following the scent to a depression in a nest of materia. "They stopped here," he said. "And then something curious. The scent died."

"How's that possible?" Reeve asked curiously, staring at the materia crystals.

"I don't know," Red answered finally. "But the curious thing is that another scent starts exactly where this one ends… a female scent, which goes up there." He nodded at a wickedly sharp wall of materia crystals. "I presume we have to climb…"

Yuffie had already scrambled halfway up the slope. "Hey, there's blood over here!" she announced. "Looks like someone cut themselves!"

Cloud's brows knitted together, "So we have two unidentified scents which appear and disappear completely at random, and a monster corpse…"

They climbed up to the ledge at the top, and found the door blocked by rocks. Red's nose twitched. "The girl's smell is gone again, and the other one is here. And I smell more blood beyond that door. Something died messily in there."

Cid rolled his eyes. "Move outta the damned way so we can get in there, then!" He pulled a stick of dynamite from his pocket as everyone else scattered to the outside ledge, then put the fuse to his cigarette until it was lit, and tossed the dynamite against the rock and darted back to the ledge as well. A few moments later, an explosion rocked the walls, and they waited for the dust to settle before heading into the cleared entrance.

The sight that met their eyes was grotesque. Five red dragons' maimed corpses were scattered about the room, complete with dismembered limbs, the acidic smell of scorched skin, and blood in puddles everywhere. And on top of that, the harsh smell of melted materia permeated everything. At that, Reeve lost it and ducked behind a group of crystals to vomit. Even Vincent looked nauseated.

Red's ears perked up sharply. "I know that other smell," he said, tail lashing this way and that. "It's Sephiroth."

"What?" Tifa whispered, barely audible.

Lucrecia's hands tightened in the pockets of her labcoat. "Is that possible?"

Cloud intently studied a couple of crystals that had been cleaved neatly in two. "…it has to be," he said finally. "These kind of cuts can only be made by Masamune." He rose to his feet. "Red, are you getting anything else from here?"

Red nodded. "The scents change again, twice. From the female, to Sephiroth, and back. I would say that the first change was about the same time the dragons landed in here. …and apparently the female was the one who left the cavern."

Vincent then looked over at Lucrecia, but her face was impassive. "There's something else at work here," she said finally. "I sense no trace of Jenova here."

"So we have Sephiroth and some strange girl, and yet Jenova doesn't even filter into the equation," Cloud said quietly, something inside him going cold. "Can you tell us where Jenova is?"

Lucrecia concentrated. "Deep. Most likely within the heart of Lifestream. I'm not sure we could even get there by ourselves…" And then she blanched. "…it's coming. Jenova's coming this way!"

The floor shook wildly underneath them as one part caved away, the green glow of Lifestream shining brightly from it, and then a tentacle slithered upward, grabbing at the impromptu ledge. And then another. And finally, up came the mutated form of Jenova…


	10. Generosity

The girl sighed quietly as she headed back to Bone Village, the sun nearly peeking over the horizon. "And we can sell all this crap to get a room?" she asked, referring to the assorted animal bits she carried in her pack.

**Of course**, Sephiroth said to her. **The important thing was that you learned how to use materia. **

"I know," she sighed, recalling the close calls while she'd been wandering in the woods. Then a thought occurred to her. "Who told you what we had to do?"

**I don't really know**, he said finally. **A woman's voice told me that I had to find a partner to sustain myself with. Only after you were brought here did I know that we needed to find the Black Materia. And then only after you took it did I recall that we needed the White Materia as well… I would say that whoever told me somehow designed it so that I would only know what to do after each task was completed…**

She frowned. "I don't like that." And then a yawn cut off her next words. "Blech… Anyway, what are we supposed to do now?"

**I believe that you're supposed to hide until it's time for me to take on a physical form again**, he said finally. **Which makes a certain amount of sense, as then you'll be better protected. Other than that… I haven't the first clue… **He sounded reluctantly resigned. **I cannot say that I like not knowing what's to happen…**

The girl shrugged. "Well, we'll deal with it as it comes." A whooshing sound far above caught her attention and she watched a massive airship heading north. "…is that the Highwind?"

**Yes**. Sephiroth said flatly. **I would assume they're heading to the Crater. I suggest you get the room and go to sleep…**

She nodded absently, then another thought occurred to her. "How'd you regain your sanity? I mean, you don't have to tell me…"

**Later, perhaps,** Sephiroth sounded suddenly weary. **I promise you that you will know in time… **

"No hurry," she said, heading into the village proper and to the ship, where the keep was just opening up. "Iie, are you open already?"

He nodded. "Lots of guys get here early on to pick up supplies for excavating and such," he said. "You buying?"

"Selling," she said to him. "I can wait a few minutes, though."

He nodded. "Well, there's chairs over there, and if you want a drink, the fridge has plenty of stuff inside it. Just bring me the container and I'll take it out of your total later." And then he went to the counter and began counting the money in the till. The girl went over to the fridge and peered in.

**That's fruit juice in the red bottles**, Sephiroth told her. **The orange bottles have milk, and the green ones have what you might call soda… **

"Juice, then," she murmured, grabbing one of the red bottles and sitting down, twisting off the top. "Don't need any more caffeine…" And she watched as a stream of men and women filed in, all apparently there to buy. One or two came to the fridge and pulled out various bottles before getting in line. Finally, the line died down and she headed to the front, taking the bottle with her. "Okay, I've got a bunch of odds and ends here… mostly animal bits. Can you use those?"

The keep nodded. "Most of it we use in the excavating, like these feathers you've got here… Oh, where'd you get these?" He held up a pair of old earrings.

"Some bird-like critter had them," she said. "Looked like he'd just carried them off or something…"

The keep nodded. "These look like a pair one of our regulars lost about a week ago. She said she'd pay good money to anyone who found them. Let me see if I can get her for you…" And he headed outside, returning shortly with a matronly woman behind him. "These yours, 'Marie?"

'Marie nodded. "Yes, those are them. Here, you can have this for finding them." She dug in her pocket and slapped a wad of gil into the girl's hand. "Thanks, miss… what's your name?"

The girl blinked. "Oh, yeah. I'm Bethany…"

'Marie nodded. "Thanks, Bethany. I owe you one. Stop by my house later, I've got something else for you as well." And then she swished off out the door.

Bethany blinked for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to have a wallet for sale back there, would you?" she asked the shopkeeper.

A few minutes later, she left the shop, once she'd gotten directions to 'Marie's house, and headed to the door, knocking twice. After a moment, 'Marie appeared and ushered her in. "Welcome, welcome. Come here, it's this way." And she led Bethany into another room of the house. "Here," she said, reaching above the fireplace and pulling down an old-looking metal bow. "You're traveling, aren't you? You'll need a weapon. Materia alone won't do." She held up the bow, which was nearly as tall as Bethany, and then handed it to her. "This is the Artemis Bow. It's been passed down through the family as far back as anyone can remember. My grandfather told me that the Ancients originally forged it for use in a great war eons ago. I haven't any use for it, so I may as well give it to you…" And she took down a matching quiver. "Here, you'll need this. Supposedly it was enchanted to contain endless arrows, but as you can see, it's empty. You'll probably need to buy some."

Bethany blinked. "Are you sure…?"

'Marie nodded. "Of course. After all, you did find my earrings. Oh, yes!" She went to a chest and brought out a bracer, again matching the bow and quiver. "You'll want this too. Don't want to tear your arm up while shooting."

Bethany blinked. "Thank you…" she said, then yawned tremendously. "Excuse me…"

'Marie smiled softly. "Tired? I've got a spare bedroom you can use. This way." And she led Bethany to a comfortable-looking room furnished in whites and blues. "Feel free to sleep as long as you like," she said, just before closing the door behind her.

"…now isn't THAT convenient?" Bethany said finally, looking at the Artemis Bow. "And just how long ago were we discussing that I needed a weapon?"

**Not very,** Sephiroth said, his tone neutral. **But it is a good weapon, and a relatively simple one to learn at that. We shall simply have to hope that she has no malicious intent in simply giving away such a thing…**

"But who just up and gives away an ancient Cetra relic for a pair of ugly earrings?" Bethany wondered, setting down the pack and taking off the thick jacket. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear that this was a bad plot contrivance in a video game…" Off came the boots and then the socks. "Seriously, I bet I'll wake up to find a bunch of leering zombies in my face or something…"

**I assure you that I'll keep an eye out for danger**, Sephiroth said wryly**. I would suggest worrying about our host's generosity after you next wake up.**

Bethany sighed as she flopped into the bed, before undoing the scrunchie and putting it around her wrist, then tucking the White Materia under her pillow, before removing the Black Materia and doing the same with it. "Um, I guess so…" And then she yawned again. "Wake me at dark…" She put her glasses on the side table and closed her eyes, falling asleep shortly thereafter.

**She has a point,** Sephiroth mused to himself. **Who does give away ancient relics without a care? And can I afford to take the chance that this is harmless? **After a moment, the purple glow appeared and died, and Sephiroth stood up, going to the bow laying on the table and resting his hand on it. In it he sensed a powerful magic energy, though it didn't strike him as particularly malevolent in any way. He did the same with the quiver and bracer, his brows knitting together as he tried to piece together the puzzle. "So here we have three ancient Cetra relics, in the middle of a town located directly below the remains of their city. Granted, all kinds of artifacts have been dug up here, but these are in excellent condition, not consistent with being buried. And we were told that they were passed through the family for who knows how long…" He paused and studied the three artifacts. "If you do not protect her, I shall break you into a thousand pieces," he said to them finally before going back to the bed and climbing under the covers. The glow took him away and brought back the sleeping Bethany.

Several hours later, Bethany awoke and yawned sleepily as she ran her fingers through her hair to put it back into some semblance of order before she put it back into the high ponytail and tucked in the White Materia. The Black Materia went about her neck next, and then she rolled the coat up and put it into the pack. "Learn anything?" she asked.

**Only that they are highly magical artifacts**, Sephiroth told her. **They do not strike me as particularly dangerous, though... **

"Really." Bethany finished dressing and picked up the bracer. After a moment, she put her left arm into it and closed it, snapping the fine silver clasps shut, then flexing her arm this way and that to see how it fit. After a moment, she put on the quiver and then the pack over it. Finally, she picked up the Artemis Bow and examined it carefully, before testing the string. "Man, this thing is going to be a pain to draw," she groused quietly. "I suppose I need to go practice…" And she headed out of the room, looking for 'Marie as she went.

'Marie was in the kitchen, and poked her head out. "Be careful out there," she said to Bethany as she passed.

Bethany nodded and headed out the door, heading towards the seashore, and hopefully more monsters.

Neither she nor Sephiroth noticed that the house vanished shortly afterward.


	11. Pursuit

This chapter has been a PAIN to write. I loathe battle scenes. Seriously.

Nonetheless, it's done now. Wonder if y'all can guess which chapters I prefer writing?

* * *

Jenova glared malevolently at them all, its mutated form rippling unpleasantly before them. A sharp high-pitched screeching sound came from its 'mouth' and sent both Cloud and Vincent straight to their knees, wholly unprepared for the disabling audio assault. Red, his balance thrown off, staggered drunkenly about in an attempt to keep his footing. Again, Lucrecia shifted forms, and the Lamia lunged at Jenova, slashing it left and right with its talon-like fingernails. Cid muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he darted forward and dragged Cloud backwards, just as a severed tentacle landed right where he'd been kneeling not a moment before. Cloud flinched, but his handle tightened about the Ultima Weapon as he began to slowly fight the disabling screeching sound's influence over him.

A tentacle flew at Vincent, and the Conformer flashed as it severed the tentacle before returning to Yuffie's hand. A thick gray-greenish blood spurted from the severed limb as Jenova screamed in agony and lashed out at the Lamia, knocking it into the wall. It slumped to the floor, blue blood trickling down its face, before getting up and shrieking a war-cry. Yuffie ran to Vincent and grabbed his arm. "Move, you stupid ass!" she hissed at him, half-dragging him behind her to safer ground.

Barrett raised the Missing Score and fired a steady stream of bullets at Jenova, most hitting dead on, but with no real effect other than to infuriate Jenova. A bolt of energy flew at him and knocked him down to the ground. Cait clutched its microphone as little green and red tendrils surrounded them, just before he initiated the Titan summon. The massive slab of rock landed on Jenova, and it screamed shrilly as another energy blast decimated the surrounding area. Tifa dug in the pocket of her jacket, hastily fumbled out a green materia, and snapped it into an empty slot on the Premium Heart, before she closed her eyes and concentrated. 'Crystals' made out of light surrounded the group as potent magical shields covered everyone present. Again the Lamia rushed Jenova, and several pink bolts of energy lanced through Jenova's side, spilling more gray-green blood about the floor. Jenova's screams grew feeble, and the piercing screech died down a bit, just as Cloud gathered together the last bits of his control, a light burning in his eyes as he raised Ultima Weapon, before dashing forward and slashing repeatedly at Jenova, thirteen times in all, the last slash finally cleaving Jenova in two. It writhed on the cavern floor this way and that in its death throes, before the life died in it.

"…shit…" Cid muttered finally, lighting another cigarette. "So now we have to deal with THAT again? And Sephiroth?"

Cloud wiped a bit of grayish blood off the edge of Ultima Weapon. "Doesn't matter," he said finally. "It's got to be done."

"And where does that girl fit in?" Yuffie asked, puzzled. "D'you think she's working with him?"

Something lit in Cloud's eyes. "Red. Do you think you can track her down? Maybe if we find her, we can get some answers out of her."

Red nodded, sniffing at the ground for a moment. "Yes," he said after a moment. "She's already left the Crater. It's probably best we leave here anyway."

Cloud nodded. "All right. Let's go…"

* * *

Red sniffed about the edge of the Crater. "Why do these scents keep changing? It was Sephiroth who went down…"

"Sephiroth went IN the crater?" Reeve asked incredulously.

"Apparently," Red said. "From what I can deduce, he climbed up here originally, but the girl wasn't with him. Even had he been carrying her, there would still be some trace of her scent." He scratched behind his ear. "That begs the question: why do the scents keep changing? And where did Sephiroth come from in the first place?"

Cloud shook his head. "We'll ask her that when we find her…" He didn't notice Tifa studying him with a frown. "Down, then?"

"I don't think all of us should go," Red said. "Two or three at most, otherwise the trail may be muddied."

"I'll go," Cloud said promptly. "We don't know what this girl may be capable of…" He trailed off. "Anyone else?"

Everyone exchanged glances. "How about Cait?" asked Reeve. "Perhaps as a decoy, if necessary?"

Cloud nodded slowly. "Yes, that might work. I'll report in on the PHS if we discover anything…" And they hurried down the side of the Crater.

Tifa exhaled slowly. Barrett looked over at her, "Earth ta Tifa. Wha's tha matter?"

"…I'm worried about Cloud," she said finally. "He still hasn't gotten over Aeris. I can't help but wonder, will he try to exact revenge if he does find the girl?" She shook her head. "Stupid, I know, but… it worries me."

"It's a reasonable worry," Lucrecia said quietly. "But try not to fret yourself over it too much. Something tells me that this girl is more than capable of handling herself, if she managed to survive a trip into the Crater." She paused. "And if she is in any way vital to whatever Sephiroth has planned, it may be that Cloud is heading into more trouble than he knows, should he have any ill intent…"

There was no need for her to finish the sentence.

* * *

Cloud landed heavily on his feet after jumping from the ledge above him and into the powder snow. Beside him, Cait landed with a mechanical clank, and then turned to him. "Tifa's worried about you," Reeve's voice said from the mechanical cat.

"Why?" Cloud blinked.

There was a pregnant pause. "She worries what you might do if and when we do find this girl," Cait said finally. "But don't tell her I told you this. She worries about you, you know…"

Cloud heaved a heavy sigh. "Truth be told, I don't know what I'd do once we find the girl." He padded forward, following Red's paw prints in the snow. "I'd have to see what degree of control Sephiroth has over her first. I don't want to hurt her, but it may be necessary…"

"If he lets you," Cait said. "Lucrecia made a good point; if she's vital to him, we may be heading into serious trouble…" He paused. "Hey, isn't that that old man's house over there?"

Red was already talking to the old man as they approached. "…did she give any specifics?"

"Just said she'd found what she was looking for and was headed back out," the old man said. "Snow Village, I think it was she said. Had one hell of a pendant with her, too; don't remember what it looked like... It was pretty hefty, though. Oh, and she nicked my antique katana on the way up, but I didn't say anything to her about it. If she knew how to use it, that's fine with me."

"And she was alone?" asked Cloud.

The old man nodded. "Yeah. She said something about being gotten up out of bed in the middle of the night without her shoes. Stubborn thing she was, insisting on going up there alone. Must be that red hair."

Red nodded again. "Thank you for your help."

"If you don't mind me asking, why you interested in her?" the old man asked.

"She may know the whereabouts of an acquaintance of ours," Cait interjected. "We just want to see if she's seen him lately, and where if so…"

"Ah," the old man said. "Well, good luck." And then he went back inside.

Red sat down in the snow, keeping his tail well above the white powder. "So we know she headed to Snow Village," he said. "It would be quicker to take the Highwind there and ask about."

Cloud nodded, turning to Cait. "Have Cid pick us up, would you?"

None of them noticed the shadow in the trees that watched them, an eerie grin on its face.


	12. The Waiting Game

It wasn't long at all until she reached the beach, the water lapping at her feet. "I should have asked if there was a boat or something," Bethany muttered quietly. "Now what?"

**Have patience**, Sephiroth stated quietly. **I'll figure out something…**

Bethany sighed as she surveyed the quietly rippling waves, before looking down. And staring. The water rippled below her feet as she stood atop it, while the Black Materia glowed steadily. Hesitantly, she took a step forward.

The water rippled underneath her. And she was still standing on top of it.

"Are you seeing this?" she demanded, half-amused and half wary as she took another step farther out, and watching the ripples underneath her feet.

**Well**, Sephiroth said, intrigued. **Now we don't need to wait for a boat**.

Another step. "Like I needed a Messiah complex," Bethany said dryly, although giddily. "What next, water into wine?"

**There's room for only one god on this planet, **Sephiroth responded, amused. **Unfortunately, it's neither of us.**

"I'll say. I know I don't feel particularly divine at this moment." Bethany held up the Black Materia at eye level. "I don't suppose you can get a local radio station while you're at it, huh?" she asked it. A faint laugh caught her attention. "Are you laughing at me?"

**I didn't laugh at you,** Sephiroth told her.

"Yes, you did!" she insisted as she began to walk across the water. "I heard you!"

**I assure you I didn't laugh at you. It's rather bad manners**, Sephiroth told her.

"Someone laughed," Bethany grumped, shoving her hands in her pockets and continuing to pad across the water's surface. "Where to now?" she asked after a moment.

**… I would recommend Junon**, Sephiroth said after a moment**. It's the most populous city now, and it would be easy for you to hide there until such time as I regain a proper body… **

"How does that work, anyway?" she asked. "I mean, I know you're leeching a bit of my own energy away, but where does it go after that?"

**I haven't an idea**, he said finally. **All I was told is that if I gather enough, and concentrate hard enough, then the two Materia will work together to create a new body for me. Until then, I need to reside inside a host in order not to lose my self before the process begins…**

"Ah," she said, watching a fish swim below her as she continued to walk. Another question leapt to mind, but she didn't ask, instead curiously bending down and poking at the water. Her finger went right in and the fish darted off.

**…to answer your question, I don't know who she was myself,** Sephiroth said to Bethany. **…but somehow she reminded me of Aeris… **

Bethany blinked. "…oh," she said quietly. Then she paused. "Could it have been Ifalnia? Aeris's mother?"

**…I hadn't considered that,** he said after a moment. **There is a… certain resemblance. But why?**

"I don't know…" Bethany padded across the water. "Um, is this the right direction? My mental map's fuzzy."

**Face away from the moon and keep going for now. That will put us on the beach just a few miles away,** Sephiroth told her.

Bethany nodded and continued to walk across the water, looking at the fish that swam below her. The silence was driving her crazy, and she hated it. But she bit back the urge to pepper Sephiroth with questions and kept going.

**…I didn't remember very much shortly after I came to my senses,** Sephiroth said suddenly, the moon high in the sky overhead by then**. I was confused and irritated. I didn't know where I was or why. But I began to recall what I'd done, and I… I was horrified. I couldn't believe what I'd done. But then she spoke to me. She told me that it was all right, that I could redeem myself, because Jenova was coming back, aided by something or someone with twisted designs. And then she told me to seek someone who would consent to letting me reside within them until I could gather enough energy to be reborn. And once I was reborn… then I would have to seek out Jenova and destroy it. After that… well, she didn't say, but I gathered that it couldn't be anything pleasant. **

"…and why me?" Bethany asked finally, pausing.

**…because you know the difference between fangirling and stalking,** he said after a moment**. …and because you interested me… I found I wanted to know more… **Embarrassment tinged his voice. **…does that bother you?**

Bethany swore she could feel the skin on her face burning. "…No, not at all," she said after a moment, mentally cursing her red cheeks. "Um, are you sure this is the right way?"

**Yes…** Sephiroth said. **I don't know if you've noticed, but you've moved quite a bit closer to shore since the last time you stopped. **

Bethany blinked and stared outward. Sure enough, there was a very faint bit of shoreline visible. She arched her eyebrows and stared down at the Black Materia. "Impatient much?" she asked it.

**You like talking to inanimate objects, I take it? **

"I'll talk to anything. I've only got a problem if I'm alone and someone talks back," she retorted.

**So by that logic, my mere presence means you're insane and should be taken to the asylum?** Sephiroth asked dryly.

"Probably. But at least I'll have company," she said as she began heading towards the shore, and finally making her way onto the beach. "Left?"

**Yes. **

Bethany nodded and trekked into Junon proper, padding wearily down the street, her eyebrows vanishing under her bangs as she spotted a familiar ponytailed redhead reading a magazine in front of a store. His back was to her, and she grinned mischievously. As she walked past him, her hand snaked out and she ran it over his rear end, making him jump in surprise as she disappeared into the crowd.

Sephiroth sighed. **I can't take you anywhere, can I? **he asked, mock-exasperated.

"You just have no appreciation for a nice male ass," she snorted as she headed into the hotel and paid for a room.

* * *

Reno turned just sharply enough to catch a glimpse of the girl as she vanished, just as Rude and Elena came out of the shop he'd been waiting in front of. "Did you see that chick?" he asked them.

"I saw what she did," Elena said dryly. "I didn't think you'd be complaining about a girl copping a feel. You getting sick?"

"Har, har," Reno snorted. "She did have one hell of a rack, though…"

Rude's left eyebrow darted upward. "…he's just fine."

* * *

Bethany flopped down onto the bed and sighed heavily. "I don't suppose there's a clothes shop around here, is there? I need something else to wear occasionally – well, that and a shower…"

**Might I suggest that you get some sleep first? **Sephiroth said**. I am not sure I care to shepherd a sleep-deprived girl about Junon, especially one with a propensity for getting herself into trouble… **

"Fine, fine," Bethany sighed, sitting up just long enough to remove both materia and tuck them under the pillow, then put her glasses aside. "Nice bed," she murmured, snuggling deeply into the covers and sighing. Shortly thereafter, she was asleep.

Sephiroth stayed awake for a bit longer, feeling as though they were being watched. He thought for a moment**. We shall have to be more careful,** he mused. **I cannot risk her presence being known to Jenova… **And then he settled into a very light slumber, still feeling as if they were being watched.


	13. Searching

Whee, yet ANOTHER chapter! You watch, now I'll get another block. XD

Apologies for the split perspectives. Hopefully it's not too confusing.

P.S. Thanks for all the lovely reviews!

* * *

Red sniffed about the outskirts of Snow Village. "She was here," he announced. "Not for very long, though. I believe she went south."

"Towards the Capital?" Cait blinked.

"There's no other way to have gone," Cloud said finally, as he turned and began to head back to the Highwind. "Red, were you going to follow the trail?"

Red nodded. "If I find anything of interest, I'll let you know immediately." And he tuned and bounded down the hill, followed by Cait and the massive Mog very shortly thereafter. Cloud headed to the Highwind and climbed inside, heading to his room and stretching out on the bed. He wanted to sleep, but he didn't know if he would have the nightmares again.

His hand clenched into a fist. "Sephiroth…" he muttered, full of fury. "I don't know what your insidious plot is this time, but I won't let you succeed. You've hurt far too many innocent people…" An image of Aeris smiling flashed into his head. "Aeris… I'm sorry," he whispered quietly, before falling into a fitful slumber.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sleeping when the knock came at the door, but he sat up groggily. "Yes?"

"You won't believe this," Reeve said through the door. "Red said that the girl must have taken a dive into the underground pool, so I went to the music box and set it playing… You have to see this. The girl took the White Materia."

"She did WHAT?" Cloud quickly sat up and shoved the door open. "Is it still playing?"

Reeve nodded. "If not, I can restart it, but it's pretty clear what happened…" He was cut off as Cloud dashed past him and practically leapt off the side of the Highwind, dashing all the way into the 'arena', huffing slightly as he came to a stop before the large crystal and curtain of water that enveloped it. He could already see everyone else inside, and headed in as Cait went to the music box and set the key in motion. As the music played, the crystal lit up and projected an image on the screen.

The image showed a jittery, high-speed image of the White Materia turning from green to white, and pulsing with a soft light. Abruptly, a hand reached out and touched it, and it brightened, a blindingly white glow filling the screen, and then fading, revealing it tucked under a green scrunchie at the top of a high ponytail of red hair. However, the girl's face was away from them, and what they might have been able to see was cut off by the fuzzy edge of the screen. As she swam away, the image focused on her pendant, which floated upward for a moment, its soft purple glow sending a chill down Cloud's spine as he recognized it.

"So she now has both da Black and White Materia…" Barrett muttered under his breath. "What da hell's goin on here?"

Red looked at them all. "I tracked her all the way to the shore by Bone Village. Her trail simply… dies at the water. …And Sephiroth reappeared briefly in the Ancient Forest, though I know not why. Also, she seems to have stopped into your residence, Cloud. You may want to check and see if anything's been disturbed."

Cloud nodded and headed back to the shell house he'd been staying in, pausing at the entrance. Then he noticed something amiss, and padded to the table. "It's gone," he said after a moment. "She took that diamond bangle…" And then he headed back. "There was a diamond bangle in there," he said to them. "She took it."

"So what the hell are we waiting for?" Cid demanded. "Don't you think we should go catch her?"

Cloud nodded after a moment. "We'll split into two groups. One group will head to the Eastern Continent to search, while the other group will head to the Western Continent. I don't think she is in either Wutai or Mideel, so we may be able to rule those out for the moment." He paused. "Tifa, take Barrett, Cid, Reeve, and Yuffie with you and start at Costa Del Sol. I'll take Vincent, Lucrecia, Red, and Cait with me and start around Kalm. We've got to find her and get some answers."

Tifa nodded quietly. "We'll report if we learn anything," she said before turning and heading to the Highwind.

* * *

Cid dropped Cloud's group off just outside Kalm. "All right, here's what we're going to do," Cloud said finally once the Highwind had taken off. "From here we're going to comb the main routes all the way to Junon. If you happen to see this girl, detain her and let the rest of us know immediately. Try not to hurt her if at all possible, and if Sephiroth should appear, fall back immediately and let me handle him. Don't attack him under any circumstance. Got it?"

Red sniffed at the air. "She hasn't been here yet, if she's even on this continent…" And the five split apart to start searching.

* * *

Tifa's thoughts were in a whirl as she clambered up over the slippery rocks near the river. She still vividly remembered finding her father dead before the Reactor in Nibelheim, and her hand slipping around Masamune's hilt before running inside. She'd confronted Sephiroth and he'd wrenched Masamune out of her small hands, and then slashed her open from stem to sternum. Had it not been for Cloud, she didn't think she would have made it out of there alive. And now he was supposedly back from the dead. She shivered in a chill wind that blew past.

* * *

Barrett frowned as he moved down the path, Missing Score fully loaded and ready just in case. He didn't like the idea of Sephiroth walking the Planet again to kill as he saw fit. He couldn't help but wonder what was so special about that girl that a madman would take an interest in her. Then he wondered what would happen to Marlene if something wasn't done, and his eyes narrowed, before he began to carefully search the surrounding landscape. He wasn't going to leave Marlene to grow up with an uncertain future. Dyne would haunt him forever if he did.

* * *

Cid muttered several foul phrases under his breath as he hopped off the Highwind. The mere idea of Sephiroth being alive again was enough to make him light up another cigarette and start puffing on it rapidly before heading off into the wooded path. What he most hated, though, was that because of Meteor, he'd lost the Shinra #26. True, he'd been up in space, but he'd lost the rocket as a result. In a way, he thought, it was all that fucking Sephiroth's fault. Well, it was Shinra's fault too, he thought; they created him, but blaming Sephiroth made him feel better.

* * *

Reeve was vastly out of shape, and he knew it as he headed along the beach. His time in the Turks was at least five years past, and he hadn't exactly kept up the rigorous training since he'd been 'promoted' to upper management. In his current state, he didn't think he'd last five minutes against the girl, let alone Sephiroth. He'd seen the destructive power of Sephiroth and Masamune first-hand once, and it was an experience he didn't particularly care to repeat, whether it be as a friend or enemy. After a moment, he decided he might have to ask Tifa to spar with him later, even as he began mentally reviewing his earliest jujitsu training.

* * *

Yuffie leapt nimbly down from the tall rock and onto the next one. She still vividly remembered the invasion of Wutai by Shinra, with Sephiroth at the head of the army. She'd only seen him through the blinds of the secret room where her father had ordered her hidden away, under the temple, but that had been enough. To this day, that image still made her shiver, when she remembered seeing him standing there, and her father prostrate at his feet as the town burned behind them.

* * *

Vincent padded through the plain, worrying about many things, mostly Lucrecia. He'd been watching her as Red made his announcement, and he wondered if she might possibly consider seeking out Sephiroth. He didn't know what she was thinking right now, if she believed he'd lied to her, or what she was feeling right now. Her transformation frightened him, and he hoped dearly that the darkness within him hadn't infected her as well. And somewhere deep inside him, the guilt for what he considered his sin still ate away at him.

* * *

Lucrecia stopped in the middle of the field to think. Vincent had told her that Sephiroth was dead, but she knew that he hadn't meant too much by it. She did appreciate him trying to spare her feelings, but she wondered, somehow, if there wasn't a way she could perhaps talk to Sephiroth, make him see the light. The rational part of her knew that wasn't possible, but she still wondered if it could be done, and her thoughts wandered along a tangent of the girl perhaps mediating. After a moment, she made a quiet decision, before heading farther out into the field of flowers.

* * *

Red headed to the hilltop and surveyed the landscape, his mind turning over the pieces of the puzzle. He could certainly understand what Sephiroth would want with the Black Materia, but why did he want the White as well? To keep it out of AVALANCHE's hands? And what was the cause of the sudden appearances and disappearances at the Crater? Where had he gone after leaving Bone Village? And, where did the strange girl fit into all of it? Why was she working with Sephiroth? And was it even of her own free will? He continued to puzzle over it as he headed for the next hill.


	14. Answers?

It was several hours later once Bethany awoke again, feeling vaguely as if she were being watched, but it passed quickly as she staggered into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water to wake up. "Any good shops around here?" she asked.

**…things have changed considerably since I was last here,** Sephiroth told her after a moment. **You may have to ask around…**

"I'll just wander a bit, then," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair before making the high ponytail again. "Blech. Don't let me forget a hairbrush."

**If you insist,** Sephiroth told her as she took up both materia and replaced them in their proper places. **Do try to resist the urge to appreciate anyone else's rear end, though… **

"Hey, if you were female, you'd understand," Bethany retorted as she picked up her wallet, Artemis Bow, and quiver, and headed out the door and downstairs. I can't help it he works out, she thought as she passed the clerk.

**I didn't quite need to know that,** Sephiroth told her, a sigh evident in his 'voice'.

Yes, you did. Don't lie. 

**…are you going to get clothes or argue with me all day?** Sephiroth asked.

I'm going! she told him as she stepped into the street and looked up and down before turning left and heading down the boulevard, and stopping in a random storefront. "Who designs this crap? I wouldn't be caught dead in it!" she commented, studying the outfits in the window. "Am I gonna have to filch an old Shinra uniform just so I don't have to walk around looking like a tramp?"

Sephiroth stifled a soft snicker**. Try the next shop down. It's slightly more military oriented, but I expect you may find something more to your taste there – even an old Shinra uniform if you truly must have it. **

Well, maybe not that, she said. I don't care to get lynched… And she headed into the shop, conscious of the man behind the counter watching her as she rifled through the clothes, finally picking out five identical pairs of black pants with attached suspenders, five different-colored long-sleeved shirts, and a pair of black steel-toed boots, and taking them to the counter. "You wouldn't happen to know of an archery range nearby, would you?" she asked the man behind the counter.

"Back there," he grunted, jerking his thumb at a door behind him. "Five thousand gil for two weeks, ten thousand for as much as you like for a month."

**…it's a bit of a high price, **Sephiroth told her. **But you do need the practice… **

Bethany thought for a moment, mentally tallying what she had in her wallet. "Give me this stuff and the two-week deal for right now," she said finally, shuffling out a few bills and laying them down on the counter. "I can come in at any time and practice, right?"

The guy nodded, without looking up from counting the money. "I get you your pass shortly," he grunted as he started to bag the clothes. "Door's open." He slid over a few inches as Bethany padded behind the counter and into the back room, and she blinked at the surprisingly sophisticated range back there. Something tickled the back of her neck and she peeked over her shoulder into the quiver.

It now held several arrows, all with blue fletching at the ends.

…you did say this was a powerful artifact, right? she asked Sephiroth

**Very much so.** he said. **We may yet need to visit Cosmo Canyon to research their origin… In any case, it's not a pressing matter… **

Bethany went over to one of the kiosks and pressed a button, then touched the screen to select the beginner lessons, and then high volume. As long as they don't explode in my face, I'll be fine. She moved over to the border between the 'field' and the enclosure as the computer told her to, and stood there as the lesson continued. …I still can't help but wonder why I was given this thing in the first place anyway… She reached over her shoulder and pulled out an arrow, carefully nocking it before adjusting her grip slightly. The man came in and put a bag on a nearby table, and laid a laminated pass on it before leaving her to her lessons.

* * *

Ow, she complained several hours later upon leaving, bag and pass in one hand, her shoulders, arms, and back aching like mad. OW.

**I would say that you need some conditioning exercise**, Sephiroth told her. **Otherwise, you'll only wind up hurting yourself even more**.

Joy, she grumped. Like what? 

**Pushups, running, stretching, perhaps a bit of light weight training. And don't think I'll go easy on you**, he told her. **As soon as you get up tomorrow, we start. **

Joy… she protested weakly as she turned the corner.

_Now, don't be too hard on her. She's not used to this kind of thing_, said a third, and extremely familiar voice, startling them both.

"I knew it!" Bethany shrieked out loud, causing several people to stare at her. "I KNEW someone was laughing at me!" She then blinked. "And you sound just like Mandy Moore, too…"

**Can we continue this discussion inside?** Sephiroth interjected. **Preferably before the asylum comes to take us away?**

I suppose… Bethany quickly started to head down the street, just as Reno peered out of a nearby doorway and started stealthily tailing her back to the hotel.

* * *

Once she'd gotten to her room and had locked the door behind her, she flopped on the bed. "Start talking."

_It's simple,_ said the new person_. I'm here for much the same reason as Sephiroth. The only difference is that I'm supposed to make sure you complete your mission – ultimately, you're to defeat Jenova – and from what I've been told, you may need to summon WEAPON_.

**Aeris… is the situation that dire?** Sephiroth asked. **I thought I was just supposed to shepherd her about until I could regain a proper body… **

_It's just gotten far worse,_ Aeris told them_. Jenova's been mutating, and there's someone or something controlling it. Mother says that Cloud and company have already killed off two of its spawn, and there are more even now growing and multiplying beneath the surface of the Planet. Also… Cloud seems to believe that you've taken the Black and White Materia for some nefarious purpose, perhaps with intent to take over, and he's even now trying to find Bethany… It may come down to having to summon WEAPON to fight Jenova. Until then… All three of us are in great danger. Especially Bethany._

"Shit," Bethany muttered finally. "So now I've got to dodge Cloud, Jenova, AND whoever's behind this whole thing…"

_Essentially,_ Aeris said_. I can answer the question of the bow for you, though… I don't know if either of you noticed, but a long time ago there was a kind of experimental energy detonated there, resulting in a time warp forming about Bone Village. Occasionally things – or people – wander through and get found later. That house happens to be one of them._

"So what you're telling me is that a strange flux of energy swallowed an entire house and spit it back out later. Then why did she call the Cetra 'Ancients'?" Bethany demanded.

_Because she came from Junon about two hundred years ago_, Aeris said. _She was telling the truth about inheriting the bow from her grandfather, but little else. I expect the next time the warp appears, she'll be long dead… Suffice it to say that that meeting was destined. _

**Don't expect to get out of your exercises**, Sephiroth told Bethany firmly**. Especially after all this has been brought to light. Tomorrow night when you wake up, we start. **

"Dammit," Bethany muttered somewhat bitterly. "But I don't want to be a grease spot on the landscape, either…" She rolled over and began to change clothes. "I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me unless the Four Horsemen ride by…" And she crawled in the bed and laid her head down.

_…Mandy Moore?_ Aeris inquired.

**A young woman who voiced one of your appearances in a video game, **Sephiroth told her**. Suffice it to say that the thought of being mere pixels on a screen kept me awake for some time as well. **

Aeris laughed softly. _I see…_

"Do you two mind?" Bethany muttered into the pillow. "I need some sleep." She yanked the covers up over her head and flicked off the lights.


	15. Vulnerability

I am SO sorry about the delay! Work and other things have gotten in my way and conspired to keep me from updating!

* * *

"Nothing," Cloud muttered to himself. "Not a thing." 

Red's voice came from the PHS. "I think she may have stopped into Professor Gast's house. Do you think we should check there to see if there's any clues?"

"Probably," Cloud said into he mouthpiece. "I'll meet you all at Kalm." And then he closed the receiver and sighed. They'd combed all but Junon, and nothing had come of it. Junon was so big that they'd all need to search it at once to find her. But, he thought gloomily, if she IS with Sephiroth, for all we know he could have told her to set up a tent on the mountains or to take some desolate road where we'd never find her. The thought didn't thrill him at all, and he sighed as he set out for Kalm once again.

The Highwind was waiting for him there, and he sighed as he climbed aboard and went to the cockpit. "Where to now?" Cid asked as he came onboard.

"Back to Snow Village," he said. "Maybe there's a clue in Professor Gast's old home."

Cid nodded and turned to bark orders at the other pilots as Cloud left the room. He went up to the top deck and watched as the ground flew past them at high speed, then became beach and ocean. His thoughts wound around to Aeris again, and Sephiroth, and continued in circles during the trip.

* * *

Somewhere, deep within the Planet, his eyes opened at a murmur from the Lifestream. "So they too seek her," he mused to himself. "Let them search. After all, they don't have my advantage…" 

He 'stood' and surveyed the glowing lumps of Jenova cells all about him that rapidly multiplied and divided into more glowing lumps. "The advantage of numbers," he mused to himself. "Knowledge. Knowledge of many things. Like her present location, what she does daily, what she's capable of… and what they are capable of as well. Ah, Cloud, Cloud, Cloud. You may yet be useful to me."

One of the lumps morphed into a yeti-like creature, complete with four arms and several tentacles extending from where its mouth might be. He surveyed it for a moment, eying a few bits critically. "Go," he said simply, and the Jenova-spawn shot off into the Lifestream, even as a harsh scream came from the Planet itself. He sniffed haughtily. "That noise will do you no good," he said. "Where is your defender now?"

* * *

The Highwind landed just outside of Snow Village, and they all piled into Gast's house. Lucrecia spotted the tape first and went to the machine, pressing a few buttons on it before loading in the tape, and they all watched it in silence. Finally, as it ended, Red was the first to speak. "What could he possibly gain by summoning WEAPON?" 

"Is it WEAPON that he's after, though?" Cloud said finally. "Or is it immortality…?"

A chill silence descended over them all. Finally, Reeve spoke up. "But what about that girl? Where does she fit into all of this?"

"…wait," said Tifa, pacing rapidly back and forth as she spoke. "Sephiroth is somehow making use of the girl to manifest in the real world. Neither can be in the same place at once. And now we know that both the Black and White Materia are in their possession. Also, the two can be used to make WEAPON, and can effectively give the bearer immortality. And. They contain other spells…" She paused. "The effects of these spells are not known, not to us. Do you suppose… that there may be some kind of resurrection spell built into one of them? That Sephiroth only needs the girl long enough to gather the necessary strength to cast that spell and will then take both Materia from the girl – or what's left of her? – and then resume his plot to become a god? That Jenova is only just a distraction?" She sighed. "It's only speculation. That's all it is. But that's what seems to be happening…"

"We haven't searched Junon," Cloud said abruptly. "It'll take all of us to do so. If she isn't there, then we'll have to assume Sephiroth's got her holed up in some cave somewhere and start preparing for the eventuality of his return. We defeated him once; we can do it again if necessary."

Lucrecia's head jerked up sharply. "Jenova's moving again." All eyes were on her as she tilted her head and concentrated. "A place where the Lifestream meets the surface, very far south… it aims to kill," she breathed faintly.

Nobody needed to speak. Instead they all turned and bolted towards the Highwind, the massive airship lifting off and screaming towards Mideel.

* * *

"Hmmph," he muttered to himself as he watched the unfolding events. "She will be troublesome. Perhaps it's best to get rid of her… and soon. I didn't think she'd develop an immunity to my control. Ah, well, sacrifice must sometimes be made. Perhaps I can find someone else willing…" And then he issued a mental command to the Jenova-spawn just as it shot out of the Lifestream.

* * *

Fortunately for the few people who still lived about Mideel, Cloud and company got there first. Lucrecia cocked her head again. "Any second now," she breathed softly. "We were lucky…" 

Cloud's ears picked up a soft screeching sound, and he grimaced slightly, even as he drew the Ultima Weapon from its sheath on his back. As if on cue, Jenova burst from the Lifestream, showering them all with luminescent green particles as it landed heavily, its four arms flexing menacingly before it rushed at Reeve, who made a flying leap to the right and landed roughly in a pile of bushes nearby. Vincent raised the Death Penalty and fired, but it went wide and he too had to dodge the wildly flailing arms of the Jenova-spawn. Cait rushed in, the Mog beating on the Jenova-spawn with its massive fists before getting knocked off its feet and rolling away erratically. Barrett's Missing Score flashed as bullet after bullet struck and the Jenova-spawn roared angrily, the tentacles about its mouth wiggling erratically.

Tifa leapt backwards and cast a lightning spell on the Jenova-spawn, which singed its fur and made it howl again. Yuffie's Conformer flashed through the air and bluish blood spurted from a gash on the top left arm, then she dove for cover as the Jenova-spawn lunged at her angrily. Lucrecia shifted forms and her hair developed into spines, which fired all about, and most struck deep within the Jenova-spawn's muscles, spilling more bluish blood about on the ground. Cloud grimaced as the screeching grew louder, trying to concentrate on the Jenova-spawn and failing miserably.

The sharp screeching grew louder and louder, until his mind seemed to explode, and he dropped to his knees, clutching his temples as his head throbbed. A voice he knew all too well whispered in his ear. _Kill her, _it told him. _She interferes with the Master's plan. Kill her. Kill her!_

_Shut up! _Cloud screamed silently in his head. _Shut up shut up shut up! You're dead! You can't hurt anyone any more!_

_Kill her! _the voice demanded. _Kill her kill her kill her kill her!_

Cloud's hands fell limply to his sides. He no longer heard Tifa calling his name in fright. All he heard now was the insistent cry in his brain. _Kill her kill her kill her kill her killherkillherkillherkillher! _His hand twitched slightly before he reached for Ultima Weapon's hilt and rose to his feet, his eyes glassy. And without warning, he lunged straight for Lucrecia.

"Cloud!" Tifa screamed. "Stop it! You've got to fight- aaahh!" Her words were interrupted by the Jenova-spawn ramming her to the ground, snarling savagely. Red leapt in and chomped down on the Jenova-spawn just long enough for Tifa to scrabble to safety, before it threw him against a nearby tree, where he slumped weakly to the ground. The Lamia barely dodged the first strike and screamed as the second strike bit into her skin, spilling her blue blood on the ground. Reeve helped the shaking Tifa to her feet. "I think I can get him down, " he told her hurriedly, "But we've got to stop that thing first…"

A fire blazed in Tifa's eyes as adrenaline flooded her system, and she cracked her knuckles, "Leave that to me. Barrett! Take out its legs! Vincent, give Reeve cover fire if he needs it! Cid, give Lucrecia some help out of there!" she barked out, before dropping into a crouch.

Barrett raised his arm and fired at the Jenova-spawn again, blood spurting from its knees. Cid lunged between the Lamia and Cloud, blocking Cloud's erratic blows with the Venus Gospel, as the Lamia slithered backwards, the deep wound starting to sluggishly heal itself, though it still leaked blue blood. The Jenova-spawn fell to one knee, and that was when Tifa launched herself up into the air, and landed with a powerful kick to the Jenova-spawn, before she went into a dizzyingly fast array of assorted kicks, punches, throws, and slams, finally finishing with a powerful punch to the chest that sent the Jenova-spawn flying into a tree, its neck breaking on impact. Reeve, meanwhile, gathered up his courage and leapt at Cloud, his hands finding the carotid artery, and he pressed in as hard as he could until Cloud dropped like a rock, and only then did he let go.

A dead silence fell. Yuffie hustled over to the Lamia, materia in hand, and quickly cast Cure on the wound several times. Cid bent down and hefted Cloud's unconscious form over one shoulder, as Reeve gingerly picked up the Ultima Weapon. "What now?" Barrett demanded.

Tifa took a deep breath. "We need to go back to Cosmo Canyon until Cloud and Lucrecia recover," she said softly. "We can't afford to have them out of the game…"

* * *

He huffed in irritation at the news. "I'd forgotten he used to be a Turk," he muttered. "No matter. I'll simply have to deal with her myself later. What good are you, Cloud, if you can't even perform a simple execution?" And then he turned back to the Jenova cells before him. "I'll simply have to use someone else…" 


	16. Preparations

**Up**. Sephiroth's voice roused her out of a sound slumber. **Don't dawdle. We have work to do**.

Bethany grunted in protest as she sleepily staggered into the bathroom. "But I don't wanna…" she whined piteously.

**That doesn't matter,** he told her. **Get dressed and let's go. **

_Now, now…_ Aeris chided. _Let her wake up first, at least…_

Bethany groaned as she came back out and loosely tied her hair back in a low ponytail. "Do I really need to bring these two with me?" she asked, studying the Black and White Materia briefly.

**I wouldn't**, Sephiroth said. **I don't think being an hour away from them'll hurt you.**

_I wouldn't spend more than a few hours out of their presence_, Aeris told them. _Their protection will rapidly diminish the longer you're separated from them. And the longer you possess them, the more severe the effects of separation… _

Bethany huffed as she slipped into a pair of pants and pulled the suspenders up over her shoulders. "I'll have you know I'm only doing this under protest."

**Noted.** Sephiroth told her dryly. **Let's go.**

Bethany sighed heavily as she left the hotel room, passed the dozing morning clerk, and went outside, where a fresh sea breeze was blowing and the sky was tinting a faint purple out at sea. Now what? she thought.

**Stretch.** Sephiroth told her bluntly. **Particularly your legs.**

Bethany huffed in irritation, but did as she was told. She finally came up from a protracted hamstring stretch and spotted a blond woman looking at her funny. "What are you looking at?" she demanded huffily.

"Nothing," the woman said, hurrying onward down the street.

**I know her from somewhere…** Sephiroth mused.

_That was Elena._ Aeris's voice was flat. _Let's move along… _

Bethany started a slow jog. "Don't have to tell me twice."

She'd gotten halfway to the city center, and the sun had just cleared the horizon, when Aeris suddenly spoke again. _Jenova reappeared… _

**What?** Sephiroth asked flatly. **Where?**

_Mideel_, Aeris said quietly. _From what Mother said, it forced its way into Cloud's head and nearly took control of him…_

**Weak-minded fool**, Sephiroth muttered. **And if Jenova did it once, it could happen again… Aeris. How long until she has the necessary energy to bring me back?**

_Two weeks, barring any unforeseen complications,_ Aeris responded.

Bethany blinked and looked at her wrist suddenly. The diamond bangle was missing, and she turned around to see it a few feet behind her in the gutter. With a muttered curse, she turned and went back for it, peering at the catch. "Damn thing's faulty," she muttered to herself, tucking it into her pocket temporarily. "So, tell me; what happens once you do get reborn?"

_Well, if necessary, you'll need to summon a WEAPON, since the others were destroyed, _Aeris said_. It looks like you will have to. He and I will protect you during the process… but I'm also here as a judge of sorts. The Planet has chosen me to see if he will be allowed to go on living, or… to die. Either way, Sephiroth, you'll face judgement by the Sprit of the Planet…_ She paused_. The Spirit of the Planet will decide whether to give you a second chance… or to completely and utterly obliterate you and your memory…_

An uncomfortable silence descended. Abruptly, Bethany snorted derisively. "Over my dead body." She'd now reached the city center and fumbled out her wallet, putting a few gil into the nearest drink machine, and a bottle of water popped out of the bottom.

**…fangirling much? **Sephiroth asked.

"Nope," she retorted, swigging down a hefty amount of water. "This Sprit of the Planet will have to go through me first to get to you. That's all there is to it." And then she belched gratuitously. "So, now what am I supposed to be doing?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

**Back to the hotel. There's not much that you can do in the way of strength training, but you can do pushups and such…**

"I hate pushups," she muttered to herself before starting to jog again. Something caught her eye, her peripheral vision telling her she was being followed. You see that? 

**Turn left,** Sephiroth told her, and she did, cutting across the street with little regard for the traffic, and heading down the alleyway. **Now right, and then left at the next intersection. Aeris, I think it's best if you go back to the hotel… **

_All right, _Aeris said. _I assume we change at the left, then?_

Joy, Bethany said quietly. I hope it's not like the last ones were… She made a left at the intersection and came to a temporary halt as a soft greenish light surrounded her, and then died, leaving Aeris there. She hurried to the end of the alley, made another right, and headed back to the street, quickly mingling into the crowd and hurrying to the hotel.

"I believe we lost them," she said, once she had the door firmly locked behind her. "Who was it? Did you see?"

Wasn't able, Bethany said. Gave me the creeps, though…

**I do believe that was Rude,** Sephiroth interjected after a moment. **Why still remains to be seen, and I think I'll have to have a discusson with him next time… **

The green glow took Aeris away and brought Bethany back. "That should be interesting to see…"

**Move that chair over**, Sephiroth told her. **You still have pushups to do.**

Bethany groaned half-heartedly as she moved the chair. "Aw, come on…"

* * *

Several hours later, Aeris and Sephiroth were discussing the next course of action, while Bethany listened to them as she soaked in the bathtub. _From what Mother tells me, Cloud and company will be coming to Junon shortly to see if they can't find Bethany. We may have to leave in a hurry and be ready for a fight_. 

**Do they know what she looks like? **

_Sort of. I think a dye job is in order very soon… _

I LIKE this color, thankyouverymuch – unless you know where I can get some blue dye. 

_We'll see. In any case, Jenova's not moved yet, but I think it will soon. But something worries me. _

**The intelligence behind it, I presume.**

_Yes. Bethany. There's a shop nearby. Tomorrow we have to go and pick out the biggest chunk of semiprecious gemstone they have – it's instrumental in creating WEAPON, and we simply can't afford anything more precious. It will be something of a downgrade, but hopefully you will have the proper strength to make up for that. _

How does that work anyway? Creating WEAPON, I mean? 

_It takes a lot of energy to do so for one thing. The mineral is what will form the base body and determines the power to some extent. Blood from the caster is instrumental to establish a link between WEAPON and the caster – in the case of the last four, it was Lifestream, as the Planet gave WEAPON its orders. Then, you'll have to choose a soul to become the WEAPON's brain. And finally, Lifestream is what shapes the WEAPON into its final form. But it will be some time before you've got the necessary energy to do so, especially after summoning us… _

Joy… But once I get you two summoned I won't have to keep playing hide-and-seek with Cloud and Jenova and the Turks, right? 

_Yes, and you can fangirl all you like then. _

Hey! 

**…you sound like you're eager to see us together, Aeris… **

Bethany's face went crimson and she hastily climbed from the tub. "It's bedtime!" she hissed under her breath, thoroughly embarrassed.


	17. Just What The Hell IS Going On Here?

Cloud's head throbbed painfully as he came back to consciousness, and he tried to sit up, but quickly abandoned that idea as pain lanced through his temples. He sunk back into the bed heavily, wondering just what the hell had happened, and then memory came back to him and he suddenly felt nauseated as he remembered. It wasn't everything, but it was enough to make him gag and retch. A deep shudder ran through him even as his neck twinged painfully, and he wondered just how the hell they'd managed to subdue him in the midst of his berserk rage. After a moment, he attempted to sit up again, and partially succeeded this time, although it really was more of a forward slump.

The door creaked quietly as it opened, and Cloud's eyes flickered over to it. Tifa blinked in surprise as she noticed that he was awake, and made her way over to him. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"…horrible," Cloud admitted after a moment. "…how's Lucrecia?"

"She should be fine," Tifa said after a moment. "Yuffie's staying with her at the moment, and Vincent assures us that the Jenova cells in her body will have her fully healed shortly. Reeve asked me to check on you, as he wasn't sure he hit the right spot when he grabbed you."

"…I see," Cloud said, as he wearily flopped back into the bed. "…this changes nothing, Tifa. We still need to search Junon and find her…" He paused. "I don't know if I should accompany you. I don't think it would be a good idea at this point."

"You need to lie down and rest," Tifa said gently. "We won't leave you here, but you should stay on the Highwind for a little. We'll search Junon thoroughly for you."

Cloud nodded. "…I do want to apologize to Lucrecia…"

"Don't worry about it." Both turned to see Lucrecia leaning casually against the doorframe. "It only means I shall have to be on my guard for some time. It's clear that someone or something familiar with the effects of Jenova on human beings is somehow monitoring us, though. Vincent said Hojo is dead…?"

"He is," Cloud said. "He took over the Sister Ray and intended to use it to send a huge burst of energy to Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. We climbed to the top to stop him before he wound up destroying Midgar in the process."

Lucrecia nodded absently. "If Hojo is not behind this, then, who is?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. "Gast died… oh, ages ago, and in any case he wasn't that type of person. Were Hojo still alive, I would have surely pinned it on him…"

"And I don't think Sephiroth was that knowledgeable about his inner workings," Cloud said finally. "So we may have to rule him out, if only for that reason…" And he paused. "…but what if it's actually Jenova that originally landed?"

"You mean …the one who originally spread the Cetra plague?" Tifa said after a moment. "But why?"

Cloud shook his head. "I don't know. At this point it's all speculation." And he sat up again. "Let's just concentrate on finding the girl for the moment. With luck she'll be able to answer our questions, or at least some of them." He stretched slightly before carefully standing up. "I'm ready if you are."

"All right," Tifa said. "I'll tell the others." And she moved past Lucrecia and went through the doorway.

"…so what exactly did Reeve do to me?" Cloud asked after a moment.

"As far as I was told, he simply cut off the blood supply to your brain until you dropped," Lucrecia said, idly examining a fingernail. "Apparently he was in the Turks for a few years prior to being promoted to upper management. I think you'd have to ask him about the pertinent details, though."

"I see…" Cloud went to the small sink in the corner of the room and filled up a glass of water. "…are you sure you'll be all right?"

Lucrecia smiled at that. "I should be as good as new shortly. It's clear that whoever is behind this is aware of my immunity to their control and simply decided that they weren't willing to tolerate that. I cannot say that the prospect of dying thrills me… so I will simply have to be careful about what I do and when. You needn't worry about me, or yourself; these things are bound to happen." And with that she left the room.

Cloud drank the water he held in his hand and refilled the glass. "It shouldn't have to happen, though," he mused softly. An image of Masamune plunging into Aeris's back flashed through his mind and he twitched ever so slightly. "None of this should have had to happen." And then an image of Zack dead in the mud over Midgar flashed through his mind. "Why…?"

* * *

"Hmm." He'd watched the whole thing, a bit of amusement warring with annoyance as he next spoke. "Oh, they are so close, but they don't realize it. In any case, how can they reach me here? I would be very surprised if they were able to. Now, that girl…" He 'turned' to watch her. "She is gaining power rapidly, far more so than I'd thought she could. I will have to deal with her soon, I think, but how?" And then an idea occurred to him. "There simply is no way for her to be able to summon WEAPON at her current power level. All I need to do is send out another pet, one that she cannot possibly defeat. This will not only rid me of her, but provide a distraction for Cloud and company to let me work as I will." One of the lumps of glowing Jenova cells began to ripple and change, rapidly multiplying in size and shape. "Three days, girl," he said. "And then you will die. I suggest you enjoy them while you can." And then he turned back to Cloud and company. "Well, Cloud, since you failed me, I suppose I'll have to use someone else this time…"

* * *

Cloud idly stared up at the ceiling of one of the crew rooms of the Highwind as he laid on the bed, not really thinking about anything at that moment. He didn't relish the thought that he might be driven berserk again, and he hated not being able to go into Junon with the rest of the party, but he knew that they were all better off should he be driven out of his own mind again. The constant waiting in his room, however, was getting on his nerves, and after a moment he got up and headed for the lower decks mostly for a change of scenery.

His PHS rang shrilly and after a moment, he answered it. "Cloud."

"We just ran into Reno," Tifa's voice said from the other end. "He's got an interesting story…"

"Like what?" Cloud asked. "And just how much does he want for it this time?"

"Real funny, Strife," Reno's voice said suddenly, and in the background Tifa protested the loss of the PHS. "That girl you're looking for, I saw her last night. I tailed her back to her hotel room, and waited, but you won't believe who came out the next morning."

"Get to the point," Cloud sighed. "Who came out?"

"Your Cetra girlfriend."

Cloud's jaw sagged incrementally. "Wherever the hell you are, stay put. I'll be right there." And with that, he snapped the PHS shut and hurried to the exterior door of the Highwind, hastily climbing out and down the ladder, and sprinting all the way through Lower Junon and to the elevator. He fidgeted impatiently on the elevator ride up, and ran full-tilt towards the hotel, where Reno, Rude, Elena, and Tifa waited out front. "Tell me everything," he snapped at Reno. "What happened?"

Reno made a face. "Keep your pants on, all right? It went something like this…"

* * *

Reno yawned profusely as he waited outside the doorway, in a small alcove slightly offset from the entrance. After Elena had reported the girl's possession of both the Black and White Materia, he'd decided to tail her until he found out what was really going on, including using force if necessary. She'd gotten up before dawn for the last two days, and hopefully she would continue that pattern even now. He checked his watch briefly, and then snapped to attention as the door handle rattled a bit.

The knob turned and then the door opened, and Reno blanched. Instead of a sleepy-looking redhead girl, a very familiar brunette in a pink shirt and black pants emerged, and closed the door behind her as she idly undid her pink hair ribbon, letting her hair cascade down her back. She hurried to the end of the hall and kept moving, and Reno hastily darted after her. "Aeris?" he said, completely startled.

Aeris turned around and smiled gently. "Reno… It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"What's going on here? Sephiroth killed you… didn't he?" Reno asked, completely bewildered.

"Yes, I remember," Aeris said, giggling slightly. "But things have changed now. I'm borrowing some energy from a friend to exist on this plane, so I can't stay long. Tell Cloud not to worry about the redhead; she's with me, and we've got a mission. I'll come back and explain when it's all over." And then she gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Bye!" And with that, Aeris scurried off down the hall. Reno hastily followed her, but by the time he'd reached the end of the hallway, Aeris had long vanished, leaving him standing there, both confused and irritated.

* * *

"…I think I need to sit down," Cloud muttered under his breath as he planted himself on a nearby bench. "And that was all she told you?"

"Yeah," Reno snorted. "I still can't believe she vanished on me like that…"

Cloud buried his face in his hands as he thought. "You're coming with us," he said finally. "You've seen the redhead; you can identify her for us so that we can find her and ask her just what the hell's going on."

"Excuse me?" Elena interjected. "Why?"

"Do you have anything better to do?" Cloud snapped out. When he received no reply, he continued. "Didn't think so. The Highwind is this way, and kindly try not to antagonize anyone. We're leaving."

"Yuffie wanted to know if we could wait an hour for liftoff," Tifa said quickly. "Something about something she needed to do before leaving Junon, and she also said she wasn't taking no for an answer."

Cloud rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine. We leave as soon as she gets back. I'm going to the Highwind." And with that he turned and strode off.

"What the hell's eating him?" Reno asked once Cloud had gone.

Tifa paused. "…I think he wants reinforcements. Jenova or someone who can control it well took over his mind and succeeded in making him injure Lucrecia rather badly recently." She sighed. "I just don't know him anymore…"


	18. Dodgeball?

"Dumb question," Bethany murmured as she got a good look at her surroundings for the first time. "Where the hell are we?"

_Outside of Junon shipyards,_ Aeris replied. _…there was an unexpected turn of events, and we thought it prudent to leave while you were still sleeping._

"Dare I ask what?"

**Reno sought to get some answers from you one way or another. Aeris distracted him sufficiently for her to get away and make it out of town.**

"Oh, if you say so," Bethany said, stifling a yawn. "Now where are we going? Across the ocean?"

_For the moment. Oh, before I forget: there's a chunk of amethyst in your backpack. Take good care of it; that's what will make up WEAPON._

"Been busy, haven't you?" Bethany asked as she headed in the direction of the shipyard.

_You might say that. In any case, Cloud woke up just this morning, after being out for nearly two days, and we believe he's heading to Junon now._

"Oh, okay. Next dumb question: how do I get onboard?"

**Very carefully,** Sephiroth said dryly. **Preferably without drawing any attention to yourself.**

Oh, like that helps, Bethany thought with a roll of her eyes as she watched some crates being unloaded. I don't suppose you thought to bring any fireworks that we could have set off, did you?

**Improvise.**

Gee, thanks. Bethany raised an eyebrow, before heading over to a young man with a clipboard who looked somewhat lost. "Excuse me," she said, "but can you tell me where this ship's going?"

"Costa del Sol," the young man replied as he stared with dismay at the clipboard in front of him. "Oh, man, why did I agree to take this job? I can't read this thing at all…"

"Can I see?" Bethany asked curiously.

"Um, sure." The young man held the clipboard out to her and she skimmed over it.

"Oh, this is simple," she said after a moment. "Which part were you having trouble with?"

"All of it," he admitted. "It's supposedly a cargo manifest, but I can't make heads or tails of it… my current supervisor is sick so they called in someone else for today, and he'll have my head if this thing isn't taken care of – although nobody can read his handwriting to figure it out."

Bethany chuckled. "It's easy, here let me show you. See, this heading here is dry goods, and that one is raw materials…"

"How in the world can you read that?" he asked, looking at her bewilderedly.

"Secretary work a few months back," she lied casually. "Some of these businessmen have horrible handwriting, and after dealing with that for a few months you can probably read anything."

The young man looked around. "…I don't suppose you were wanting to go to Costa del Sol, were you?" he asked in a hurried whisper. "There's ten more pages of this thing, and I know I'll never be able to puzzle it out in time. You don't mind… do you?"

Bethany pretended to think about it for a moment. "I suppose I could," she said after a moment, a small smile creeping across her face. "It's a bit out of my way, but I can manage…"

"Thank you," the young man said with a relieved sigh. "All right, so this is the first page, with the totals, but we won't need that one until we actually get everything out here so we can count it…"

* * *

Some time later, Bethany idly wandered between crates with the clipboard in one hand and the checklist in the other, hunting for an elusive crate of building materials that had gotten misplaced. "So what's going on now?" she asked softly after a moment, while bending down to check a label. 

_They've just spoken with Reno,_ Aeris told her after a moment. _What their plans are now, however, I don't know. I think that they're going to regroup and try to find you again, however. And Jenova has been suspiciously quiet for the last two days, as well, and that has Mother worried. She's keeping an eye on it for us, and hopefully we'll know something once it begins to move._

"That's special," Bethany muttered as she went to inspect another crate. "Ah-ha, here it is!" She made a mark on the checklist and stood up to wave at the man with the forklift. "So now what's going on?" she groused quietly. "This stinks, and I think you both know what kind of stench I mean…"

**…if necessary, I will deal with Cloud,** Sephiroth said after a moment. **I have no plans to kill him, but he will not back down easily.**

_He will if he believes I am in danger, _Aeris said after a moment. _That is not a route I like to think about taking, but it may need to be done if we are to succeed in stopping Jenova and whoever's behind it._

Bethany took several large steps back as the forklift trundled forward to scoop up the crate. Psychological warfare, huh? Sounds fun.

**That wasn't how I would describe it,** Sephiroth replied dryly.

I would, but then I'm just a demented fangirl with delusions of grandeur, Bethany thought as she began to search for the next crate on the list. …Hey, are you still able to make him do your bidding? You know, shared Jenova cells and all that?

**…I don't know,** he replied after a moment. **I don't think it could be done without him being entirely too close for comfort, however, but it is a thought worth keeping in mind.**

_Interesting… _Aeris commented suddenly. _It seems the Turks are going to work with Cloud for the time being… Not entirely by choice, though._

Bethany made a face that clearly expressed her displeasure. "Wonderful, just what I need now," she growled under her breath. "Although Reno's pretty cute. I'd take him home with me."

Aeris began giggling, and Bethany was sure that she could feel Sephiroth's bemusement. **If you say so.**

"You're cute too, honey," Bethany cooed, and Aeris's giggles grew just a little louder.

**Thank you… I think…** Sephiroth's voice held a faint tinge of embarrassment. 

The Black Materia abruptly lit up with a faint purple hue, and Bethany blinked in surprise as she ducked behind a crate and took it in one hand. "The hell?" she asked softly. "Aeris, what's going on?"

_I'm not sure,_ Aeris replied. _Wait – look over there to your left. I see the problem._

Bethany cautiously peered around the crate, and then blanched as she saw Yuffie at the other end of the dock, accompanied by an older man she didn't recognize immediately at first. "Great, just fucking great," she hissed under her breath. "Now what?" And then she began to stealthily move towards the open cargo doors on the ship. "Guess I'll just have to skip to interior inventory for a moment." And with that she carefully darted between crates, grimacing at the open space between herself and the ship's ramp, and then carefully peering around to see where they were in relation to her. She made a face as she noted that they were both right in her way and apparently had no plans on moving anytime soon. "Dammit," she growled under her breath as she settled back behind the crate she was hiding behind. "Now what?"

The Black Materia pulsed again, brighter this time, and Bethany wrapped her hands around it and brought it up to eye level. "Hm?" After a moment, she began to concentrate, searching for that small spark within it, and after a moment or two, she found it, causing the Black Materia to light up in her hands. "Okay…" she breathed quietly. "Let's see if we can't distract them a little…" And then she closed her eyes and began to focus her mind. A few moments later, she could clearly hear running footsteps and then she carefully leant around the crate again. Yuffie and the other man were darting through the crates and following an image that appeared to be her, and she stifled a giggle before quickly ducking into the belly of the cargo ship. "Coooool," she breathed.

**Don't get too cocky,** Sephiroth said to her. **They may be back as soon as they discover the fake.**

"I'll worry about that when it does happen," she snorted as she turned to the next page on the clipboard in her hand. "Now where is this crate at?" And with that she wandered deeper into the ship's hold.


	19. Hunting

Ick, short chapter. Next one will be much longer, though. >D

* * *

Cloud paced back and forth in his room on the Highwind, his thoughts in a whirl. He just couldn't understand it; if that really was Aeris, what was she doing with the redhead? And if it was some trick of the redhead's, then just what the hell was she up to in the first place? He rubbed the bridge of his nose with one finger as he tried to fit the pieces together into something that made sense. "Aeris said she and the redhead had a mission, that she was with a friend," he said aloud. "No, that she was borrowing energy from a friend to exist on this plane… Does she mean the redhead girl? Is that why she went after the two Materia? To allow Aeris to exist in our world again? But that doesn't make sense…" 

He paused for a moment. "Both Materia are capable of summoning WEAPON when together. Presumably, Aeris cannot be in the same place as this girl… and neither can Sephiroth. But does Aeris know about him? Are they working together? …is he even sane?" He turned around and began to pace across the floor again. "There are also other spells contained within these Materia. They can also sustain the wearer for what appears to be an indefinite length of time. But what precisely are they capable of? And what's so special about that girl anyway? Why does she have them instead of someone else, like Aeris?" He stopped in his tracks and sighed heavily. "What is the Planet thinking?"

After a moment, he shook his head and emerged from his room, heading towards the upper deck to get some air. He didn't notice Yuffie at first as she climbed up onto the deck and waved at someone below, at least not until she darted into the cabin and came back out with a small camera, a giggle escaping her lips as she did. "So what was so important that we had to wait an hour?" he asked her.

"Oh, I had to pick up my brother," Yuffie said in an unusually chipper tone. "Hospital paperwork is a royal pain to deal with, you know."

Cloud looked up at her, puzzled. "I didn't know you had a brother…"

"Oh, I didn't either, not for a while," she said cheerfully. "You don't mind him coming along, do you?"

One of Cloud's eyebrows arched up under his spiky bangs. "…is he capable of dealing with Sephiroth and Jenova?" he asked.

"Well, you can ask him yourself, he's almost up," Yuffie chirped, and then leant down to give the newcomer a hand up, one of her hands securely gripping the railing of the Highwind as she tugged him upwards into view, and Cloud's eyes nearly doubled in size as Tseng casually pulled himself the rest of the way up and stepped onto the deck. A flash blinded him for the barest of moments, and Yuffie's giggles doubled in intensity. "That's one for the scrapbook!"

Tseng arched an eyebrow for a moment, before giving Cloud a polite nod. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"You might say that," Cloud replied once he got his voice to work again. "…I thought you weren't going to make it. We all did."

"Let's just say that the rumors have been greatly exaggerated," Tseng replied, glancing at the still-giggling Yuffie. "The full story is a bit too long to tell here, however…"

"Oooh, yeah, let's go inside!" Yuffie suggested. "I laid down good money that I could make Reno spit his drink across the deck and I'm not about to lose it to Cid yet! Come on!" And with that she seized one of Tseng's arms and one of Cloud's and proceeded to drag them both inside the Highwind. Both men exchanged a commiserating look as Yuffie dragged them onward, into the dining room, where all three Turks were currently eating. Rude was the first to notice, and he pushed his sunglasses down, staring at Tseng with dark eyes. Reno, in mid-swallow, turned around to see what Rude was staring at and promptly choked, spitting his drink all over the table and much of the floor beyond, while Elena's hands flew to her mouth with a silent gasp. The camera flashed again and Yuffie broke into another fit of giggles.

"…the hell?" Reno rasped out once he'd regained the ability to speak coherently again. "Tseng?"

"Unless you know of any others, yes," Tseng replied, his voice as dry as any desert.

"…but how?" Elena finally whispered after a moment. "We all heard about it from Reeve…"

"As for that, you'll have to ask her," Tseng replied, gesturing to Yuffie. "She orchestrated most of it."

"Like I was going to leave you there, not after discovering what I did," Yuffie snorted as she idly began to juggle some loose materia.

"What, that he was your brother?" Cloud asked, puzzlement evident in his voice. Behind him, Reno's jaw sagged incrementally, Rude began to slowly sip at his drink, and Elena blinked rapidly.

"You might say that," Yuffie replied as she tossed another gleaming orb into the air.

"…you poor thing," Rude muttered under his breath, steadfastly ignoring the glare that Yuffie shot at him.

* * *

"So anyway," Yuffie said, several minutes later, once the group was assembled on the bridge, "we were wandering about the docks for a few minutes when we saw the girl, but she got away before we could catch up to her. I'm thinking she may be heading across the ocean now." 

"But what's over there that she could be interested in?" Reeve inquired.

"Who knows?" Yuffie said with a shrug. "Lots of good hiding places there, though, if you know what to look for. Hell, even if you don't know what to look for you can still find some good places over there to camp out."

"The voice of experience?" Tseng murmured under his breath.

"Look, if I want an editorial, I'll read the paper," Yuffie shot back.

"Would you be able to recognize her if you saw her again?" Cloud asked quickly before a small war began.

"Yeah, can't miss her, not with that color hair," Yuffie said.

Cloud nodded. "All right, we're going to start at Costa Del Sol and work our way out from there, starting tomorrow, as that's the earliest any ship is going to get over there. In the meantime, I suggest everyone take the time to make sure they're prepared for a fight." And he strode from the bridge, leaving a collection of varying expressions in his wake.

"This can't be good," Reno muttered to Rude. "I'm still not sure about any of this, especially if we're tangling with Sephiroth and that Jenova thing again."

"So why are you looking for her again?" Tseng quietly asked Yuffie.

"The short answer is that she has both the Black and White Materia, and may be working with Aeris and Sephiroth for some unknown purpose," Yuffie replied, idly watching the rest of the group filter out of the bridge one by one. "We'd like to find out what's going on here, and if it's related at all to the Jenova-spawn that's popped up twice so far."

Tseng frowned. "And what of Jenova's influence over Cloud?"

"Not sure," she replied softly. "I know I'd like to believe he's not going to allow himself to be controlled, but his attack on Lucrecia proves otherwise. He seems to think so, too, otherwise I don't think he'd have gone to the trouble of requesting that the Turks join us like he apparently did. On top of Reno's report that this girl is apparently working with Aeris, and Sephiroth's mysterious appearances and disappearances connected with her, this is shaping up to be rather unpleasant – especially if Jenova's acting independently like Lucrecia seems to think it is…"

"Lucrecia… the same involved in the original project?" Tseng asked.

Yuffie nodded. "Yep, Sephiroth's mother…"

Tseng nodded and got up. "I see… I think I'm going to talk to her for a little bit. There is always the possibility that she may not stay with us…"

"I think Vincent's way ahead of you on that one," Yuffie snorted. "I know he's been watching her for some time now. Talk to him first before you go see her."


	20. Amethyst Weapon Rising

Fwee! Super long chapter tonight, folks!

Oh, single quotes - ' ' - are more thought-speak. As for WEAPON… well, you'll find out. >D

* * *

The sun was creeping below the horizon when the ship finally set sail from Junon, and Bethany stayed above deck for a few minutes as the sun finally set. After a moment, she took the Black Materia in her hands and studied it, watching the odd purple swirls on its surface fade, appear, merge and divide endlessly. A faint purple glow appeared about it and she could feel it beginning to warm up in her hands. 

"So what's really going on here?" she asked herself quietly. "There's more to this than just Jenova, I'm sure of it. But how can I find out?" She huffed, sending her bangs fluttering briefly against her forehead. "I don't think this is going to work like one of those bad mystery novels where the plot is so conveniently revealed for the hero about halfway through. At least I hope not. That would just suck." Idly she concentrated on the Black Materia, and it responded to her by growing warmer as she gently probed its capabilities. "Interesting," she mused quietly to herself. "That one might be useful…"

**You need to get some sleep, you know, **Sephiroth's voice told her.

I know that, she thought with a sigh. Gimme a few minutes, and then I'll go to bed.

**Ten minutes, no more.** And then he went silent, and she turned her attention to the Black Materia again, before pulling the White Materia from her hair and holding the two side-by side, watching as the White Materia lit up with a green glow, although remaining cool to the touch in her hand. After a moment, she gently began to investigate the White Materia, one eyebrow arching as she uncovered another spell or three hiding behind Holy.

"I think I see," she murmured. "One part of the WEAPON spell in you, the other in you. And you… you can do that, although it takes a lot of power to do so. Interesting." After a moment, she tucked the White Materia back under her scrunchie. "I need to find a different way to wear you, though. Don't want to steal Aeris's routine, now do I?" With that, she let the Black Materia hang freely from the chain and watched the sun finally slip below the horizon before turning around to study the night sky. "Kind of strange not being able to pick out familiar constellations, though," she muttered to herself, before glancing at her watch and heading back below deck, passing by a couple sailors as she headed to the small room she'd been given, barely bigger than a closet, but she didn't have much stuff so she didn't mind too much. Bethany flopped on the small cot and took her glasses off before tugging off both materia and tucking them under her pillow, and sleep claimed her soon afterward.

It seemed like only an instant until Sephiroth's voice intruded on her sleep. **Up. Come on. You may not be able to run around the deck, but that's no excuse for neglecting your other exercises.**

"Buh," she grunted as her eyes fluttered open. "Only if you first explain where in this room I'm going to do them. Ain't a lot of space in here…"

_She does have a point, _Aeris said for the first time in a little while. _There really isn't much room in here._

**Move that chair and there will be,** Sephiroth said patiently.

Bethany grunted as she sat up, eyes still foggy with sleep, and shoved the lone chair into the corner. "Fine, whatever," she grunted as she blearily slipped out of bed. "Gimme sec though." And she staggered out of her room, towards the head, and closed the door behind her. It took her a few minutes before she reemerged and headed back to her room, carefully latching the door behind her. "Pushups, isn't it?" she asked, although she already knew it was a rhetorical question.

Some time later, there was a rap at the door, and Bethany grunted as she got up from her place on the floor, before unlatching it and opening it, peering out at the young man from yesterday. "Oh, hey, what's up?" she asked with a bleary yawn.

"Not much," he said. "I just wanted to let you know that you can sleep in if you like; one of my coworkers will take over the manifest as soon as we arrive, but I do appreciate all your help. Come see me before you leave, all right?"

"Sure," she said, and then yawned again as the young man left, before closing the door behind her and going back to her crunches.

* * *

He turned to survey his handiwork, nodding once in satisfaction at the completed form of the Jenova-spawn before him. "Perfect," he said finally. "Now go. Kill her and bring me both materia. I will not risk them falling into Cloud's hands." The Jenova-spawn screeched before shooting through the Lifestream away from him, and then he began to softly chuckle. "Best enjoy your few remaining hours, girl," he said to the vast expanses of the Lifestream and the glowing lumps of Jenova cells that hovered around him. "You won't live to see anything else, that is certain. Nobody could defeat that Jenova-spawn – well, save one, but he isn't here to help you." And then he threw back his head and laughed, as the Planet screamed about him…

* * *

Cloud rolled out of his bed with a yawn and headed to the main deck of the Highwind, idly running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to make it look slightly more presentable. The engines rumbled under his feet as he came to the bridge, yawning profusely, and Cid turned around and gave him a look. "'Bout time ya fucking woke up," he groused. "We're just leaving for Costa Del Sol now. Shouldn't take more than an hour to get there." 

Cloud nodded. "…thanks, Cid."

"You're welcome," Cid snorted. "Now go get something to eat before you pass out on the goddamned deck, will you?"

Cloud chuckled softly and headed towards the galley, one eyebrow arching as he saw Reno already inside, wolfing down a large bowl of scrambled eggs, although he made no comment as he went to the small fridge and took out three large sausages before putting them into the small microwave and pressing a few buttons. He blinked as Reno held out a shotglass to him. "What's that for?"

Reno swallowed the mouthful of eggs he'd been chewing. "Shut up and drink it. You look like shit, so maybe it might help."

"Thanks, I think," Cloud muttered under his breath before taking the shotglass from Reno, and then taking a cautious sniff of the contents. He wrinkled his nose at the potent smell before raising the shotglass to his lips and gulping down the contents, gasping as his insides began burning. "What IS that?" he rasped.

"Some of old man Shinra's best whiskey," Reno said dryly. "Since he sure as hell ain't here to appreciate it, I decided to give it a good home."

Cloud arched an eyebrow and took his sausages out of the microwave, and they sizzled as he impaled one on a fork before taking a bite out of it and chewing thoughtfully. Lucrecia padded in, her hair hanging freely about her shoulders, and rummaged for a container of orange juice in the small fridge.

"Has Jenova been moving?" Cloud asked once he was done with his mouthful of food.

"Not yet," Lucrecia murmured quietly. "Whatever's going on, it isn't anything of dire-" Then she froze, tilting her head to one side and staring blankly into space. "Oh, no," she whispered, her complexion going ashen. "It's moving… and it's huge…"

"Where?" Cloud hissed out

"It's heading… towards Costa del Sol," she whispered faintly. "…it plans to kill…" Her hands flew to her mouth. "It's going to kill that redheaded girl! And take both the Black and the White Materia from her!"

Cloud's plate clattered to the table. "Damn it!" he growled. "Lucrecia, get to the bridge and tell Cid to step on it!"

Lucrecia flew out of the kitchen as Cloud bolted for his bedroom, only dimly paying attention to Reno bellowing behind him, and hastily yanked on his purple jumpsuit before cramming his feet into his boots, and then heading back towards the bridge as the deck plates of the Highwind began to rumble violently beneath his feet. "Cid, how much longer?" he demanded as he came onto the bridge, where everyone else was already assembled.

"Twenty minutes," Cid threw back at him from his place at a console. "What in the bloody hell does Jenova think it's going to do, just take that shit from her without a fight?"

"It's huge, almost the size of a WEAPON," Lucrecia said, staring blankly into space for a moment. "Enhanced somehow… there's simply no way she can defeat it herself, even with the Black Materia…"

"But… who would want her dead that badly?" Tifa asked softly. "And what does this mean, if Jenova is after her?"

"That we have to stop it," Cloud said grimly. "We can worry about the little details later…"

* * *

The large ship pulled into Costa del Sol sometime thereafter, and Bethany collected her things together before quietly leaving the small room, and heading to the top deck in search of the young man. She found him talking to a young woman with a clipboard in her hand, and he excused himself for a moment before scurrying up to her. "Thanks again," he said, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a small bag, which he handed to her. "It's just some materia, nothing fancy, unfortunately…" 

"That's quite all right," Bethany said gently. "It wasn't anything special, believe me. You're welcome." She watched him for a moment as he went back to the young woman, and then turned and walked away from the shipyard before opening the bag and digging in it. "Oooh, look, an Ice. Hey, this isn't too bad…" She blinked as her bracelet suddenly fell off, and she bent down to pick it up. "Don't suppose I could get you to fix this clasp later?"

**Perhaps,** Sephiroth said after a moment. **If you remind me once we're settled for the night…**

_There's a small clearing about twenty miles out of Costa del Sol that should let us stay out of sight for several days,_ Aeris said after a moment. _I'm pretty sure that Cloud's unaware of it, so it should be an ideal place to wait until we're able to remanifest. But you will need to buy some camping supplies before we leave._

"Easier said than done, but all right," Bethany said as she headed towards a stall on the beach.

About an hour later, once she'd filled her pack, and picked up a few other little essentials, Bethany set out of Costa del Sol. Idly, she fumbled around in her backpack for the chunk of amethyst and then examined it once she'd found it. "So this is what makes up WEAPON?"

_Essentially,_ Aeris said to her. _It's simply a base mineral to determine what kind of powers the new WEAPON will have, that's- wait…_

**What is it? **Sephiroth asked.

_Jenova is moving again…_ Aeris said after a moment. _…oh, no…_ An urgent edge laced her voice. _It's coming right at us! There's no time to change!_

"Damn it!" Bethany broke into a run, darting around trees and over rocks. "Why now?"

The earth began to violently shake under her feet, and then the surface of the earth cracked, as Lifestream began to spill out of the crack. Bethany began backpedaling to avoid the Lifestream and only ended up falling backwards as a geyser of Lifestream erupted, flooding everything around it and soaking her clothes as it washed over her. One tentacle emerged, then another, and then several more, as the head of the Jenova-spawn slowly rose, and Bethany screamed at its sheer size, several times larger than her whole body. The rest of its form followed suit shortly thereafter, resembling something akin to a several hundred-foot tall mutated butterfly with a thousand tentacles, although its 'wings' flapped uselessly behind it.

"Ohmigawd," Bethany whispered before hastily scrambling to her feet and darting away from the looming Jenova-spawn, even as the ground rumbled ominously behind her. The faint sound of engines reached her ears and she blinked as it grew louder, looking up as the Highwind screamed into view, several ports opening along its sides, and the sound of missiles being launched caused her to scream and hastily duck behind a large boulder nearby. Violent explosions shook the landscape and the Jenova-spawn screamed shrilly, causing her to clap her hands over her ears to deaden the sound.

* * *

"Look at the size of that thing!" Reno hissed as they screamed in. "What the hell is going on here?" 

"Open all missile ports!" Cid bellowed. "Lock onto that son of a bitch and fire at will!"

"Aye, Captain!" several voices shouted in unison, and then the deck throbbed violently, metallic rings echoing all about as the missile ports all opened in unison. "Firing missiles now!"

The deck plates rung as each missile was fired, and then a harsh, shrill scream indicated direct hits. "Hurry up and reload!" Cid bellowed. "There's no way we'll be able to fight that fucking thing at ground level without blowing its feet out from under it!"

"Missile tubes one and three ready!"

"Missile tubes two and four ready!"

"Missile tube six is jammed, Captain! It's going to take several minutes to fix! Missile tube five is ready!"

"Fire!" Cid bellowed again. "Reeve, send that damn toy cat of yours down to help unstick the missile tube! Cloud, are you going out there?"

"Going to have to," Cloud said grimly as Cait Sith bounded off. "Maybe we can hit it with a summon or two while someone goes down there to find the girl…"

"Fine, just stay out of our way," Cid growled before turning back to the rest of the crew. "How fast can we set down and take off again?"

"Unknown, Captain!" said one after consulting his screens. "That THING has a long reach; trying to set down too near it will make us a sitting duck!"

"Fine, get back to me once you have something that will work," Cid growled irritatedly.

"Come on," Cloud said quickly, "to the top deck. Tifa. Elena. If we can make a safe landing, will you two go fetch her?"

Elena nodded, and Tifa did too after a moment of hesitation. "Of course."

"Good. All right, let's move, people!" Cloud darted out the entrance of the bridge, and towards the entrance to the top deck, and quickly fumbled out a bright red materia as he skidded to a halt, then fastened it into a free space on the Ultima Weapon. "No offence, Lucrecia, but you may want to stand back," he said as she came up behind him.

"You needn't worry about me," Lucrecia gently assured him, lightning beginning to arc between her hands, and then a teasing smile crossed her face. "If anything does happen, I'll just push you over the side," she continued lightly.

"I'll hold you to that," Cloud muttered, trying to keep a smirk off his face. "All right then! Materia at the ready! Barrett, Vincent, see if you can get a clear shot at that thing! I don't suppose your Pyramid trick works at this range, Reno?"

"That's what grenades are for, Spike," Reno grunted as he tugged one out of the inside of his jacket and pulled the pin, before lobbing it as hard as he could in the direction of the Jenova-spawn, as Rude brought up his hand, a green materia in a bracelet on his wrist beginning to glow brightly. The air around the Jenova-spawn shifted subtly, and its movements slowed, even as the grenade bounced once off its side before exploding in a fiery ball. Materia quickly changed hands as Vincent dropped to the clearest patch of floor that he could find, carefully training his rifle on the Jenova-spawn, while Barrett grabbed onto a handrail with his good hand and began to blast wildly. Another grenade went flying, followed by a bolt of lightning from Lucrecia's hands, and then a gesture from Yuffie resulted in several heavy chunks of ice falling on the Jenova-spawn, which screamed angrily and whirled to face them, malevolence burning in its angry orange eyes.

A green materia in Reeve's bangle lit up, and a moment later the harsh screeching sound that usually accompanied Ultima resounded around the area as the greenish orb unleashed its destructive power against the Jenova-spawn. Cid's voice crackled over a deck speaker. "Hold on to your panties out there! Missiles firing NOW!"

The deck rocked as the missiles screamed out of the firing tubes, all impacting against the Jenova-spawn's side in a volley of fire and exploding, and a prolonged scream of agony echoed all around them. The bright red materia in the Ultima Weapon gleamed brightly as Cloud concentrated on it, and everything shifted just slightly as an armored knight appeared out of nowhere, striking the Jenova-spawn with its weapon, and then fading away as another one appeared, and then another, and then another…

"Holy shit," Bethany whispered from behind the large boulder as she peered around it to watch the carnage. "Is that actually going to stop it?"

_Unfortunately not,_ Aeris said to her. _This one's been enhanced somehow. It's going to take more than a few missiles and some summon magic to defeat it…_

**I can do it. Let me take over for a moment.**

_Too risky. Remember, the point of this is to keep her safe until WEAPON is summoned. And you to a certain extent,_ Aeris told him. _You know as well as I do that if Cloud catches sight of you that he will come after you, and at the present rate of energy consumption he would very well win._

**Then what are we supposed to do, then?** Sephiroth's voice held a hint of exasperation. **Play 'chicken' with it?**

Bethany's eyes widened as two 'voices' spoke to her. "Quiet," she breathed, one hand going to the White Materia in her hair, the other to the Black. "Wait, what now?"

_Bethany?_

"Hush," Bethany said again before her expression grew blank for a moment, and both materia lit up brightly. "You're kidding. Is that really the only way? Well… All right, just tell me what we need to do… WHAT? …I hope you're right about this…" And with that she took the small bag of Materia and began snapping the orbs into the spaces on her bow, her expression changing back to normal. "Let's hope this works."

**What are you doing?**

"Something stupid," Bethany grunted under her breath as she snapped in the last of her materia and then reached for her bracer. "But be quiet. I need to listen to these materia. You can probably ask them yourself if you like."

The last of the knights vanished and the world returned to normal, as Cloud sucked in a breath and then let it out again, feeling more exhausted than he had before. Gravity, fire, and lightning spells struck the Jenova-spawn, along with another grenade, and something lit up in its eyes. A large green cloud began spewing from what passed for its mouth, rapidly enveloping the Highwind in a thick, choking fog. The speakers crackled with static as Cid began to bellow at the pilots to take them back and out of the cloud. Tseng quickly fumbled out another red materia that Yuffie had given him before closing his eyes and concentrating, and a large purple critter appeared, did a flip, and produced a massive tornado that whirled away most of the fog.

The Jenova-spawn lashed out at the Highwind with several tentacles, and the ship lurched crazily as it made a hard turn to avoid them. Three landed heavily, denting in the outer skin of the Highwind, and one snapped an engine strut, causing the ship to list sharply to one side. Cid could be heard bellowing at the pilots over the speaker as everyone scrambled for a handhold. "Take her down, you hear me? We'll cut that fucking thing apart from the inside if we have to! Nobody damages the Highwind like that and gets away with it!"

_You can't do that!_ Aeris said, horrified, after a quick conversation with the two Materia. _You simply don't have enough magic power to just up and call out WEAPON!_

"Do you have any better ideas?" Bethany shot back, before her eyes darted to the Highwind and its damaged engine strut. "Your friend's ship just took a beating, so they're effectively sitting ducks right now. Besides, the materia will support me. They told me they would." And with that she grabbed an arrow from the quiver.

**You're out of your mind!** Sephiroth said

"Like that's new. Now shut up and let me concentrate!" she snapped before vaulting up to the top of the boulder, Vincent's eyes widening imperceptibly as he watched. He waved Cloud over as the Highwind neared the ground, and pointed.

"So that's her?" Cloud breathed quietly as the Highwind landed unsteadily, about a thousand feet off from the Lifestream slowly flowing out of the cracked earth. "But what in the hell is she doing?"

Bethany nocked the arrow, closed her eyes and concentrated on one of the green magic materia in her bow, and a small chunk of ice formed at the tip of the arrow before she drew back and fired. The arrow penetrated the hide of the Jenova-spawn, and then several sharp ice crystals exploded from within it, all covered in noxious orange blood. The Jenova-spawn screamed and whirled to face her, a look of utter hatred burning in its eyes as it advanced.

* * *

"Now what is that fool girl doing?" he murmured as he watched her leap up to the top of the rock and take aim. "She can't possibly be thinking of defeating it all by herself; I would have sworn she had much more sense than that." He watched dispassionately as she fired the arrow, and the Jenova-spawn whirling about. "Ah, well. It's your funeral, girl. Kill her!" he commanded the air…

* * *

"Why isn't she running?" Cloud demanded as the Jenova-spawn advanced. 

"Who knows?" Reno muttered under his breath.

"I think she's up to something," Lucrecia said softly, her expression going blank. "But I'm not sure what…"

Bethany stared down the Jenova-spawn as it advanced, her expression paling as a giant bolt of blue energy built up between them, forming into a howling, crackling mass of energy. "Oh, shit," she whispered faintly as the energy bomb exploded, sending her flying through the air to land in the Lifestream that bubbled at the surface, splashing it about with the force of the impact. She scrabbled for a hold on a handful of land nearby and used it to yank herself upright as the Lifestream ran down her face and body, mingling with the blood from the cuts opened by the energy and the force of her landing. "Heh… biiiiiiiig mistake," she rasped as she spat out a mouthful of blood and Lifestream, before forcing herself to stand up and toss her backpack aside, the gleaming chunk of amethyst floating in the Lifestream at her feet. "Come on, hit me again. You know you want to…"

"What the hell is she doing?" Barrett spat out

"I think she's goading it," Lucrecia replied softly. "But what for?"

Cloud glanced at Elena and Tifa. "Better get ready, you two. If she gets hit again, go out there and grab her. We'll provide cover."

Rude glanced out at the girl. "…the Black and White Materia are glowing," he said quietly, causing heads to snap around. "I think she's going to try for WEAPON…"

Another blue energy ball began to form in front of the Jenova-spawn, and Bethany hastily picked up the floating chunk of amethyst, clutching it tightly enough to draw blood as another explosion washed over her, sending her backwards into the Lifestream, and she came up sputtering, as blood oozed slowly from a multitude of wounds over her body. "…that was your fatal mistake, buddy," she hissed as both the Black and White Materia burst into life, and drops of Lifestream rolling off her body began to float in midair, as did the red tinges of blood all over. "I may not be able to stop you, but I know who can!" And she rose to her feet as power began surging through and around her, more and more blood and Lifestream rising into the air and starting to swirl in a circle about her, one hand pointing at the Jenova-spawn.

A dark bolt of energy built in her hand, and the Black Materia flashed as it fired, knocking the Jenova-spawn backwards several hundred feet into the dirt, tearing up the landscape as it skidded away. Bethany tossed the chunk of amethyst into the air, where it hung, and then folded her hands together and concentrated, closing her eyes as she focused on the power surging about her

'Hey, pretty lady,' an unfamiliar male voice said to her out of nowhere. 'What are you doing fighting this thing all by yourself? Let me help you…'

"All right then, cowboy," she murmured under her breath as a wisp of Lifestream swirled about her hand, "let's see what you've got!" She pointed at the amethyst chunk and the wisp swirled around it once or twice before merging with the chunk of amethyst. The mingling of Lifestream and blood swirling about her froze in midair, before moving forward and rotating faster and faster around the amethyst, which began to ripple and grow, and absorb the swirling mixture floating around it. Bethany closed her eyes and concentrated, an image forming in her mind, as the White and Black Materia released their power to her command.

Unfamiliar syllables fell from her lips as she continued to concentrate, directing the massive power into the still-growing chunk of amethyst, as stumps began appearing, rapidly transfiguring into arms, legs, and a head. The Jenova-spawn, meanwhile, righted itself and screamed in fury as it advanced on Bethany and the still-growing chunk of amethyst, as its arms and legs rapidly filled out, then its chest and head. An insectoid carapace formed about it, rapidly darkening to a purple-black sheen almost the color of the Black Materia, wicked claws formed on its hands and feet, and a purple glow appeared in its eyes. Several particles of light traced out eight pairs of luminescent, glowing insect wings behind it, which joined its body with a green burst of light, and began fluttering slightly.

"…holy shit," Cid gasped from his place at the bridge. "She made a fucking WEAPON!"

The Jenova-spawn lunged at Bethany, all tentacles intent on squeezing the life out of her, until the Amethyst WEAPON's hand thudded to the ground between the two, capturing the tentacles and crushing them in its grip. The Jenova-spawn screamed angrily as Amethyst WEAPON's gaze came to rest on Bethany.

'So how would you like your ugly cooked today?' the unfamiliar male voice mentally asked.

A faint smirk crossed Bethany's lips. "Liquefied."

'Certainly.' Amethyst released the Jenova-spawn's crumpled tentacles before balling up a fist and punching it in the face, hard. The Jenova-spawn screeched again and lashed out at Amethyst with its all but useless tentacles, and Amethyst grabbed a handful and yanked, ripping them out of the Jenova-spawn's body, sending its noxious orange blood spilling all over the place. The Jenova-spawn screamed shrilly, driving Cloud, Vincent, and Nanaki to their knees in agony, and flailed about uselessly, its 'wings' slapping against its back. Bethany touched the Black Materia with one hand and channeled its power to Amethyst WEAPON, who raised one hand as black motes of energy swirled around it, before idly gesturing at the Jenova-spawn. Dark balls of energy swirled around the Jenova-spawn, and then a massive tower of energy erupted from under its feet and shot upward, incinerating the Jenova-spawn as the energy balls exploded, and only once the corpse was reduced to nothing more than ashes did it fade away.

Bethany sunk to her knees in the pool of Lifestream. "Go on," she hissed at Amethyst as it turned to look at her. "I'll catch up, promise… Get out of here…"

'If you insist,' Amethyst said to her quietly. 'But don't think I won't come after you if necessary…'

Bethany chuckled weakly. "I'll hold you to that. Now get!"

Amethyst's wings spread and it lifted off, flying off into the distance at a rapid rate. Bethany attempted to stand, but her knees refused to cooperate, and she sunk back down in the Lifestream on hands and knees. "Well, fuck," she rasped out before pitching forward into blackness.

In an instant, Elena was over the railing of the Highwind, and Tifa right beside her, and the two women darted through the ruined landscape towards the rapidly receding Lifestream, and Tifa took a flying leap into the crater to Bethany's side, carefully lifting her up off the ground as Elena darted over to help. Between the two of them they succeeded in hauling her up to flat ground and laying her out carefully. "Well, now what are you going to do?" Elena asked cautiously.

"…I honestly don't know," Tifa replied quietly, staring at the two still-pulsing materia.

* * *

"How was she able to do that?" he demanded furiously. "That's simply not possible! There's no way she should have been able to DO that! And now there's a WEAPON to be reckoned with as well!" 

"Be patient," a female voice cooed behind him, from one of the lumps of glowing Jenova cells. "This is nothing, a mere setback. Now she will be unconscious for quite some time, and they will take away her toys, I'm sure of it. Without those WEAPON cannot change forms or tap into its locked powers…"

He nodded slowly as he considered this. "Yes, yes, you're right. We must simply move faster, that is all. You have not been able to locate either of them, I take it?"

"Unfortunately not," the same female voice said. "But the Cetra girl is of minor consequence, truly. It is only him that we must locate and bring to us… I shall look harder for my champion. He must be here somewhere. And even if he is not… there are still others…" Her delighted tone made him shiver with pleasure.

"Very well, then," he said, turning back to watch the proceedings. "I will harass them, then. Do let me know if you find out anything." And he gestured to the nearest lump of Jenova cells, and it obediently floated over to him. "Yes, I shall certainly harass them… and perhaps do something about that brat before she is able to recover…"


End file.
